Dry weather stressed corn plants in much of the South, allowing a fungus to get into the corn and produce aflatoxin, a strong poison. This happened to corn in portions of West Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and possibly other Southern states. Some corn harvested from these areas is contaminated with dangerous levels of aflatoxin. Grains from other areas could also be infected. These toxins attack the liver, kidneys and other organs of humans and other animals that ingest them.
Aflatoxins also attack the immune system, increasing risk of disease.
Animals that eat corn contaminated with aflatoxins may become ill and die. Young animals are more susceptible than mature animals. Turkeys, quail, doves, ducks, geese and other seed-eating birds are of special concern because they appear to be more susceptible to the aflatoxin than are mammals of the same size. The smaller the animal, the less toxin the animal can tolerate. Corn contaminated with high levels of aflatoxin is being refused by elevators.