Intoxication produced by toxic fungi Fusarium poae and F. sporotrichioides on chicks

Strains of F. poae No. 958 and F. sporotrichioides No. 921 were involved in fatal outbreaks of alimentary toxic aleukia in man. Mixed moldy diet, crude extracts containing T-2 toxin 4β, 15-diacetoxy-8α-(3-methylbutyryloxy)-12, 13-epoxytrichothec-9-en-3α-ol) from these fungi, and pure T-2 toxin isolated from F. sporotrichioides No. 921 were used for an extensive toxicological study on New Hampshire chicks. The cultures were grown on sterile moist wheat grains at 12°C for 21 days. The experiments were performed on a total of 300 chicks, divided into 18 groups of control and of treated chicks being fed the toxic diet. The treated chicks showed reduction of weight gains, clinical and gross pathological changes and severe hematopoietic damage, which were also the principal features of alimentary toxic aleukia in man. The control groups administered the same diet without toxic material, remained healthy and showed no clinical or pathological changes.