toxicologic diseases of man and animals , associated with molds growing on foods , have been recognized for centuries . only in recent years , however , have these mycotoxicoses received the attention of many laboratories and skilled scientists around the world in a broad inter - disciplinary effort . 
 this review covers the literature on mycotoxicoses but centers on those about which most is known , particularly the diseases associated with metabolites elaborated by some strains of aspergilli , penicillia , fusaria , stachybotrys , and claviceps . 
 the ubiquitous nature of the aflatoxins , toxic metabolites produced by aspergillus flavus , make them important to public health , especially since it is now known that certain areas of endemic liver disease coincide with consumption of aflatoxins and , often , malnutrition . 
 the older disease of ergotism , the scourge of europe for centuries , is considered in detail . 
 alimentary toxic aleukia , which has caused enormous suffering in russian human and animal populations , is better understood as a result of relatively recent experimental investigations . 
 stachybotryotoxicosis , a disease previously considered to be of significance only to man has now been identified in domestic animals . 
 finally , japanese studies have clearly revealed the hepatotoxicity of certain metabolites of penicillium molds . 
 factors that influence susceptibility to mycotoxins and the hazards they present to man are also reviewed . 
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