Increased sensitivity to staphylococcal beta hemolysins of erythrocytes from chickens during aflatoxicosis

The size of the zones of beta-hemolysis surrounding staphylococcal colonies on blood agar was found to be related to the level of dietary aflatoxin consumed by the chickens donating the blood. Zone sizes on blood from chickens fed the highest level of aflatoxin (10 micrograms/g of diet) were about six-fold larger than those on blood from control birds. The percentage of staphylococcal isolates displaying beta-hemolysis was increased from about 15% in normal blood to about 90% in blood from chickens fed aflatoxin (10 micrograms/g) whereas the time required for detection of beta-hemolysis was decreased by about one-half. The hemolytic activity of purified staphylococcal beta-hemolysin against suspensions of washed erythrocytes increased as the level of aflatoxin consumed by the donor chickens increased. These data imply a new mechanism for enhanced susceptibility of animals to infectious agents during mycotoxicoses whereby the animal is made more sensitive to the virulence factors of pathogens.