Outbreak of an acute aflatoxicosis in Kenya in 2004: identification of the causal agent.
Maize contaminated with aflatoxins has been implicated in deadly epidemics in Kenya three times since 1981, but the fungi contaminating the maize with aflatoxins have not been characterized. Here we associate the S strain of Aspergillus flavus with lethal aflatoxicoses that took more than 125 lives in 2004.
Probst
Claudia
C
University of Arizona, USDA-ARS, Department of Plant Sciences, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
Njapau
Henry
H
Cotty
Peter J
PJ
D000348:Aflatoxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D001231:Aspergillus flavus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D015651:Mycotoxicosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000382:microbiology*
D000348:Aflatoxins