[The effect of high doses of aflatoxin on the pig]

In two experiments, 18 pigs were given feed contaminated with aflatoxin which had been prepared by the extraction of the cultures of toxinogenic strains of the fungus Aspergillus flavus. After the ingestion of aflatoxin (AFB1) at a dose of 5.4 to 10.5 mg per kg of live weight, the pigs showed symptoms of peracute aflatoxicosis and died within 12--20 hours. After ingestion of AFB1 at a dose of 1.4 or 3.1 mg per kg live weight, the pigs suffered from acute aflatoxicosis and died within 3 to 26 days from the administration of the contaminated feed. In the cases of these experimental aflatoxicoses, clinical symptoms, haematological and biochemical changes in the blood and the patho-anatomical and histological findings in the swine organism were described.