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Clinical laboratory investigation of Moldy rice straw poisoning in cattle in Kathmandu Valley

Clinical laboratory investigation of Moldy rice straw poisoning in cattle in Kathmandu Valley

Dr.Kedar Karki.

Central Veterinary Laboratory, Tripureswor Kathmandu Nepal

 

Abstract:

 

Unidentified disease was characterized by hypersensitivity, incoordination, a peculiar stiff-legged gait of the hind legs, severe generalized tumors of the skeletal muscles, progressive paresis, paralysis and constipation and death was reported in a cattle herd of 82 in Kathmandu valley which was maintained in moldy rice straw feeding. The most notable gross pathological lesions in one bull and two cows which died were degenerative and necrotic changes in certain skeletal muscles, hemorrhages on the serosal surfaces, especially on the dorsal aspect of the rumen, and gastro-intestinal stasis. Samples of rice straw, feed and tissue samples of rumen,reticulum,liver revealed the growth of fungus species penicillum and when rest of animals in herds were treated with Anti Deg Nala liquor the general health of rest of animal still feeding the rice straw and same sources of feed improved and mortality checked.

 

Key words:

 

Cattle, Moldy rice  Straw, incoordination, stiff-legged gait of the hind legs, tumors of the skeletal muscles, Penicillium, Anti degnala liquor,Cattle.

 

Background:

 

An outbreak of disease affecting a herd of 83 dairy cattle which were fed moldy, rice straw is described. Out of the affected cattle 3 of which died. The clinical signs included muscular tremors, hypersensitivity, ataxia, anorexia and salivation and death.

 

Material and Methods:

 

Clinical and post-mortem examination of Herds:

 

The clinical signs were characterized by flaccid paralysis and gait abnormalities. Clinical signs were more pronounced after exercise and included stiff and unsteady gait, knuckling at the fetlocks of the hind limbs, frequent falling, inability to rise, muscular tremors, especially of the head and the hindquarters, and drooling. Main necropsy findings included degenerative and necrotic changes of the larger medial muscle groups of the hindquarters. Necrosis of the forestomach mucosa was the most characteristic gross pathological change. Focal erosions to severe, diffuse, coagulative necrosis of the mucosa in the rumen, reticulum and omasum and congestion and haemorrhages in the abomasums was similar to as reported by Schneider DJ, Marasas WF, Collett MG, van der Westhuizen GC,PAULINO LORETTI Alexandre; MOLETA COLODEL Edson ; DRIEMEIER David ; MENDES CORREA André  ; BANGEL Jorge José  ; FERREIRO Laerte ; Loretti AP, Colodel EM, Driemeier D, Corrêa AM, Bangel JJ Jr, Ferreiro L. and Kellerman TS, Newsholme SJ, Coetzer JA, Van der Westhuizen GC. Botha, C J : Kellerman, T S : Fourie, N.

Laboratory examination of rice straw, feed sample, and post-mortem tissue samples and hematological examination of blood from affected herd pretreatment and post treatment.

 

Samples of rice straws of different lots and feed and post-mortem tissue samples in mycobioal culture media revealed the growth of penicillum spp, which was similar to the finding of  similar to the findings of Karki et.al.2008 C. Wendell Horne 2008, www.springerlink.com/index/q7g038v8x3m10026.pdf 2008 Sabreen, M. S. and Zaky, Z. M.* 2001 .

 

 

Hematological findings of samples from clinical case pre-treatment:

Species of animal

RBC

WBC

PCV%

HB

OX

4*10 millionmmc

7.2*10 mm3

23

7.6

C.calf

4.6*10 millionmmc

8.2*10 mm3

28

9.3

C.calf

4*10 millionmmc

7.8*10 mm3

24

8

C.calf

4.5*10 millionmmc

8.2*10 mm3

27

9

Normal

5*10millionmmc

4-12*10mm3

28-42

8.5-13.5

 

 

Preventive treatment with Anti Degnala liquor.

All cattles that were showing clinical symptoms were treated with Antidegnala liquor 5 ml s/c followed by 2 ml daily for next 10 days.Similarly rest of animals in herds were also provided with same drugs at the dose rate of 2 ml orally for ten days.Those cattles received the treatment as earliest time recovered promptly the delayed treated cattle too recovered but took bit longer time the treatment response was similar to earlier findings of Karki et.al  2008.

 

Hematological findings of samples from clinical case post treatment:

Species of animal

RBC

WBC

PCV%

HB

Ox

7.2*10 millionmmc

4.6*10mm3

28

9.3

Ox

8.5*10 millionmmc

5*10mm3

30

10

Calf

9*10 millionmmc

5.5*10mm3

33

11

Calf

8.6*10 millionmmc

5*10mm3

30

10

Ox

7.9*10 millionmmc

4.8*10mm3

29

9.6

B.bull

9.5*10 millionmmc

6*10mm3

36

12

Normal

5*10millionmmc

4-12*10mm3

28-42

8.5-13.5

 

     Result and Discussion:

     As during warm humid climate of tropics and subtropics favors growth of mold and fungus in feed grains and fodder especially after heavy monsoon rain feeding of exclusively such grain to livestock and poultry seems to cause the detrimental effect in the health these animals. As in this investigation clinical signs of anorexia, apathy, diarrhea and ruminal stasis and Clinical pathological findings included mild focal erosions to severe, diffuse, coagulative necrosis of the mucosa in the rumen, reticulum and omasum and congestion and hemorrhages in the abomasum.Liver with shrunken appearance pale to yellowish discoloration with bile filled distended bladder pin point hemorrhage in kidney, small intestine with excessive mucus. On mycological and microbiological examination of tissue samples from post-mortem of dead cattles and straw and feed samples on respective medium revealed the growth of fungal pathogens like Penicillium spp with E.coli.These results provide circumstantial evidence that feeding of moldy rice straw maize grain and green fodder leaves infected by Penicillium and Aspergillus spp and timely use of Antidegnala liquor has controlled the further mortality in sick cattles and when remaining animals in herd there was no further appearance of syndrome indicative of the above polyneuropathic syndrome was caused by a systemic Mycosis in these cattles. Same way in this observation it was observed the entire animal which was treated with injection of anti Degnala liquor recovered completely. Same way there was marked increase in total WBC count, and decrease in RBC count as well PCV and Hb during clinical phase of syndrome on treatment there was marked increase of both PCV and Hb and increase in RBC count and normal WBC count also support that this syndrome was attributed by infestation of fungus on rice straw which was fed to these animals.  need to be looked into.

 

References:

 

1: Botha, C J : Kellerman, T S : Fourie, N: A tremorgenic mycotoxicosis in cattle caused by Paspalum distichum (l.) infected by Claviceps paspali. J-S-Afr-Vet-Assoc. 1996 Mar; 67(1): 36-7.

 

2: Gilmour JS, Inglis DM, Robb J, Maclean M. A fodder mycotoxicosis of ruminants caused by contamination of a distillery by-product with Aspergillus clavatus. Vet Rec. 1989 Feb 11;124(6):133-5.

 

3: Schneider DJ, Marasas WF, Collett MG, van der Westhuizen GC. An experimental mycotoxicosis in sheep and goats caused by Drechslera campanulata, a fungal pathogen of green oats. Onderstepoort J Vet Res. 1985 Jun;52(2):93-100.

 

4: Kalra DS, Bhatia KC. Degnala disease in buffaloes and cattle: epidemiological investigations. 1: J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol. 1990 May-Jun;10(3):132-5.

 

5: Ellis, Kimberly. Hemorrhagic bowel syndrome in dairy cows, Senior Seminar Paper SF610.1 2008 E45, http://hdl.handle.net/1813/12788.

 

1. 6: PAULINO LORETTI Alexandre (1) ; MOLETA COLODEL Edson (1) ; DRIEMEIER David (1) ; MENDES CORREA André (1) ; BANGEL Jorge José (2) ; FERREIRO Laerte (3) ; Neurological disorder in dairy cattle associated with consumption of beer residues contaminated with Aspergillus clavatus. Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation   ISSN 1040-6387 : 2003, vol. 15, no2, pp. 123-132 [10 page(s) (article)] (30 ref.).

 

7: Kimberly S. Brown, Forage Testing Points to Molds and Mycotoxins May 18 2001, Article # 3526;The Horse.com.

 

8: Azhar Maqbool, Muhammad Athar Khan, Muhammad Yaqoob, Ijaz Ahmad Khan, Nadeem Badar1 and Fazal Mahamood. Prevalence, etiology, chemotherapy and control of Deg Nala disease in buffaloes and cattle in Pakistan; VETERINARSKI ARHIV 68 (6), 213-217, 1998

 

9: Kellerman TS, Newsholme SJ, Coetzer JA, Van der Westhuizen GC. tremorgenic mycotoxicosis of cattle caused by maize sprouts infested with Aspergillus clavatus. 1: Onderstepoort J Vet Res. 1984 Dec;51(4):271-4.

 

10: Loretti AP, Colodel EM, Driemeier D, Corrêa AM, Bangel JJ Jr, Ferreiro L. Neurological disorder in dairy cattle associated with consumption of beer residues contaminated with Aspergillus clavatus. : J Vet Diagn Invest. 2003 Mar;15(2):123-32.

11: Meat and meat products: Other animals carrying E. coli O157 include sheep, goats, wild deer, pigs, ...... by Penicillium, Rhizopus, and Aspergillus spp. (ICMSF, 1980b). www.springerlink.com/index/q7g038v8x3m10026.pdf:-Retrived on 13 october 2008

1. 12: Kedar Karki and Purnima Manandhar: Clinical-Epidemiological Investigation of Mouldy Corn Poisoning due to Penicillium spp. in mules at Udayapur District, Nepal: Veterinary World   pp 107-110 vol. 1 no. 4 April 2oo8

 

 

Acknowledgment:

 

We would like to thank Mr.Udaya Chandra Thakur Programe Director of Directorate of livestock production Harihar Bhavan Kathmandu for providining early indication of problem. Thanks are due to Mr. Bal Bahadur Kunwar Mr. Tek Bahadur Air Senior Vet. Technician and Mr.Bhimsen Adhikari Vet. Technician of Microbioly Unit,Mr Purna Maharajan Vet Technician of Central Veterinary Laboratory for doing the microbiology  and post-mortem works and office assistant Mr. Chandra Bahadur Rana for his tireless effort in handling the carcass during post-mortem work .

 

 

 

About the Author

Senior Vet.Officer,Central Veterinary Laboratory Kathmandu Nepal M.V.St. Preventive Veterinary Mrdicine

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