The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation has warned Kenyans against consuming livestock, and chicken from animals fed with contaminated maize.
Kalro director general, Dr Eliud Kireger told the Star on Tuesday that contaminated maize that is given to livestock passes over residual effects to humans.
“The residual effects are passed on to humans through the consumption of related products including milk, eggs and meat,” he said.
He said aflatoxin is a fungal toxin that commonly contaminates maize and other types of crops during production, harvest, storage or processing.
In Kenya, acute aflatoxin poisoning results in liver failure and death in up to 40 per cent of cases.
In May 2006, an outbreak of acute aflatoxicosis was reported in the Makueni, Tharakanithi and Machakos regions of Kenya where aflatoxin contamination of homegrown maize was a recurrent problem.
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