PMID: 6988376Feb 1, 1980Paper

Toxicoinfectious botulism in foals and adult horses

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
T W Swerczek

Abstract

Toxicoinfectious botulism was proved to be the cause of a neuromuscular paralytic syndrome in foals and adult horses. In eight successive cases, Clostridium botulinum type B was isolated at necropsy. Foals were either found dead without premonitory signs of illness or, most often, they had signs of progressive and symmetric motor paralysis. Stilted gait, muscular tremors, and the inability to stand longer than 4 to 5 minutes were the salient clinical signs. Other clinical manifestations included dysphagia, constipation, mydriasis, and frequent urination. As the disease progressed, dyspnea with extension of the head and neck, tachycardia, and respiratory arrest occurred. Death occurred most often 24 to 72 hours after the onset of clinical signs. The most consistent postmortem findings were congestion and edema of the lungs and excessive pericardial fluid, which contained free-floating strands of fibrin. Gastric ulcers, foci of necrosis in the liver, abscesses in the navel and lungs, and wounds of the skin and muscle were predisposing sites for development of toxicoinfectious botulism.

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Botulism (ASM)

Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium clostridium botulinum. Discover the latest research on botulism here.

Botulism

Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium clostridium botulinum. Discover the latest research on botulism here.

Related Papers

Archivos de la Sociedad Española de Oftalmología
F Aguirre-BalsalobreJ R Hueso-Abancens
Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Pamela A Wilkins, Jonathan E Palmer
Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation : Official Publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc
Amy L JohnsonR H Whitlock
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved