NASCIMENTO, E. M.; http://lattes.cnpq.br/8500615857781562; NASCIMENTO, Eduardo Melo.
Abstract:
In Brazil there are 131 species and 79 genera of toxic plants and this number increases
permanently. In the Northeastern region, plant poisonings are very important because
there is a extended dry season and many farmers raise sheep, goats and cattle in native
or cultivated pastures in extensive or semi-extensive systems. Outbreaks can occur in
several situations that depend on access to the plant site, palatability, social facilitation,
hunger, ingestion period and toxic doses, among others. The negative impact caused by
plant poisoning in livestock justifies the development in the last decades a lot of
research to characterize the epidemiology of these intoxications and to develop
technologies for their control and prophylaxis. This dissertation consists of two original
articles: the first submitted to Toxicon, describes the poisoning Poiretia punctata in
sheep and cattle in the state of Sergipe. P. punctata is a legume, popularly known as "
pela bucho ", described by producers as responsible for poisonings and deaths of cattle
and sheep in the state of Sergipe. Nine properties were visited to collect clinical and
epidemiological data, between 2010 and 2012. Usually the animals were found dead or
have died after a clinical course of up to 18 hours. The clinical signs were observed
when the staggering gait and sudden falls, often followed by death. The disease has
been reproduced experimentally in two sheep receiving 40 g/kg body weight and
showed apathy, staggering gait and loss of balance, ataxia, increased support base and
head down, engorgement of jugular falls mandibular trismus, opisthotonos, nystagmus
progressing to sternal recumbency lateral recumbency and paddling. The clinical course
of the animals died after 3 and 8 hours, respectively. Two animals that received 20g/kg
of body weight, showed apath, anorexia and remained lying down looking to the side
recovering later. No gross or histological lesions of significance were found. It is concluded that P. punctata is a toxic plant that causes death in sheep and cattle in the
state of Sergipe. The second article reports submitted to Rural Science collective cases
of megaesophagus in sheep, goats and cattle in the state of Paraíba. Megaesophagus is a
rare disease in ruminants characterized by regurgitation of rumen contents. This paper
describes two outbreaks of megaesophagus in sheep and goats cattle. On a farm in the
municipality of Ibiara 18 cases of megaesophagus in cattle occurred, with 12 deaths, in
a herd of 200 animals. In another farm two cases in sheep and in goats, a herd of 50
goats and 40 sheep, all breeding males occurred. All animals showed regurgitation of
rumen contents and weight loss, but the evolution of the disease was different, while
goats and sheep showed a chronic form, an increase of several months, the cattle have
an acute form, an increase of 3-8 days. In necropsy all animals showed megaesophagus.
Histological examination showed segmental muscle necrosis in the esophagus and
skeletal muscles. Epidemiological data and pathology suggested that the disease could
have been caused by some toxic plant, but not known plants have been found to cause
segmental muscle necrosis in areas where the disease occurred.
