Aflatoxins, toxic metabolites of Aspergillus flavus or Aspergillus parasiti
cus, cause poor feed utilization, decreased weight gains, depressed immune
function, liver dysfunction, coagulation abnormalities, and death in a wide
variety of species including humans. Conservationists have become concerne
d that increasingly popular wildlife feeding or baiting practices could exp
ose wildlife to toxic amounts of aflatoxin-contaminated grains. In particul
ar, the effects of aflatoxins on the wild turkey (Meleagris gallopova silve
stris) are of concern because the conspecific domestic turkey is highly sus
ceptible to aflatoxins. To evaluate the effect of dietary aflatoxin on wild
turkeys, four groups of 4-mo-old wild turkeys were fed diets containing ei
ther 0, 100, 200, or 400 mu g aflatoxin/kg feed for 2 wk in September and O
ctober 1996. Aflatoxin-fed poults had decreased feed consumption and weight
gains as compared with control poults. Decreased liver-to-body weight rati
os, liver enzyme alterations, slightly altered blood coagulation patterns,
and mild histologic changes indicated low-level Liver damage. Compromise of
cell-mediated immunity was indicated by decreased lymphoblast transformati
on. The effects were apparent in all treatment groups td variable levels, b
ut significant differences most often were found at 400 mu g aflatoxin/kg f
eed. This study shows that short-term aflatoxin ingestion by wild turkeys c
an induce undesirable physiologic changes; therefore, exposure of wild turk
eys to feeds containing aflatoxin levels of 100 mu g aflatoxin/kg feed or m
ore should be avoided.