This articledescribestheuseofmicroscopytoprovethepresenceoftheaflatoxinproducingpathogen,
Aspergillusflavus Link exFriesincommerciallyavailableediblepeanutsinGeorgia.Lightmicroscopyin
combinationwithelectronmicroscopyhasbeenusedtodescribetheinfectioncourseestablishedbythe
fungus.Thealkalimacerationtechniqueusedinthestudywassuccessfulandsufficienttodetectthe
kernelinfectionof A.flavus and monitortheinfectionpercentageinediblepeanuts.Percentageof
infected kernelvariedfromonecommercialoutlettoanotherintheregion.Briefly,peanutseedsfrom
Cartersville hadthehighestpercentageof A.flavus infection.Electronmicroscopyconfirmedtheseed-
borne infectionofthismold.Myceliumestablishedinsidethehosttissuesbothintercellularlyand
intracellularly aidedbyactive,continuousbranchingofyounghyphae.Establishmentofmyceliumwas
also detectedinthexylemvesselsofrootsindicativeofsystemicinfection.Thus,ediblepeanutscan
form animportantsourceofinoculumandfacilitatethespreadofthefungusfromonepeanutto
another incommercialoutletsandelsewhere.Presentstudyprovidesstrongevidencethat A.flavus can
escape detectionatsellingpointsandlandsincommercialoutletsviaediblepeanuts.Thatthese
contaminatedpeanutscouldposepublichealthhazardsisdiscussed