Intoxicação em ruminantes por Centratherum brachylepis.

Abstract

A disease o f the digestive system was observed in cattle and goats in three farms in the State of Paraiba, in the Brazilian semiarid in pastures invaded by large amounts of Centratherum brachylepis. Marked anorexia, lack o f rumination, ruminal atony, bloat, regurgitation, dry feces, salivation, and dyspnoea were observed in cattle. Some cattle died in 5-8 days, and other recovered in approximately 15 days after the withdrawn from the pastures with the plant. On the histology the stratified epithelium o f the rumen had severe vacuolation and vesicle formation followed by infiltration of neutrophils with formation of intraepithelial pustules. Goats were also affected showing ruminal atony, bloat, dry feces, salivation, regurgitation, and occasionally edema o f the head. Some goats were found dead, others died in approximately 8 days, and others recovered. The disease occurred in the year 2004 when rains were much more frequent and in more amounts than normal. The disease was produced by the experimental administration of C. brachylepis to goats and sheep. One sheep showed edema o f the head and decreased ruminal movements after been ingested 25 g/kg bw of the fresh plant, daily, for 2 days. This animal recovered 5 days after ingestion. No clinical signs were observed in another sheep after the ingestion, during 10 days, of 20 g/bw daily of the plant. Two goats received, daily, during 12 days, 10 and 20 g/kg bw o f the plant, respectively. Another goat received 30 g/kg bw, daily, during 10 days. They had decreased ruminal movements, and recovered 2 days after the end o f the administration. These experiments demonstrated that the spontaneous outbreaks were caused by the ingestion o f C. brachylepis, but variation in the experimental results suggests that the plant has variable toxicity by unknown factors.