• Aflatoxin is a potent hepatotoxin, and so varying degrees of liver breakdown occur.
• As toxicity develops, normal liver function declines, and reduced growth rate is quickly followed by death.
• Toxicity is enhanced by the presence of other toxins such as ochratoxin and T2 toxin.
• The effects of aflatoxin are also much worse if birds are infected with aspergillosis.
• There also seems to be a nutrient interaction, because toxicity is more severe when diets are low in either
crude protein or methionine or when the diet contains marginal levels of riboflavin, folic acid or vitamin D3.