Toxic Agents in Ruminants Diagnosed in the Pathological Anatomy Service of the UFRRJ, Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

Background: Toxic agents are chemical substances or physical agents that, when interacting with living organisms, cause harmful effects. For animals, toxic products include those intended to combat endo and ectoparasites, rodenticide products, and heavy metals. Minerals and dietary additives, even if essential to the animal, can become toxic agents, among which sodium chloride, copper, urea, and ionophore antibiotics stand out. This study aimed to survey the diagnoses of accidental poisoning in ruminants over 65 years as recorded in the files of the Pathological Anatomy Sector of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro.Materials, Methods & Results: The diagnoses of poisoning by ticks, rodenticides, heavy metals, macro and micronutrients, and dietary additives in ruminants were made based on the association of epidemiological, clinical, and anatomopathological findings and, in some cases, by histochemical (rubeanic acid and Masson trichrome) and toxicological examinations. A review of data recorded over 65 years identified 372 poisonings in ruminants. Of these, 85.5% (318/372) were in bovine species and 14.5% (54/372) in goats, sheep, and buffaloes. The outbreak of poisoning by organophosphates resulted in the death of 16 cattle that ingested contaminated broken rice and corn. The spraying of this product on the bags was intended to control insects. Intoxication due to excessive administration of abamectin resulted in the intoxication of 16 calves, in two distinct farms. Toxicosis caused by coumarin derivatives resulted in the death of six cattle after accidental ingestion of these rodenticides near the pens. Arsenic poisoning occurred due to ingestion of ant poison, available in bone meal and a mineral salt, through baths with arsenic-based ticks, or in cases later confirmed by toxicological analysis, resulting in the death of 109 cattle. Sodium chloride toxicosis resulted in the death of 10 sheep that became ill in two farms after excessive consumption of salt and private access to water. The diagnosed copper poisoning resulted in the death of 165 ruminants (154 cattle, 10 sheep, and 1 goat). Urea poisoning occurred due to excessive ingestion by 13 cattle and 4 buffaloes, without prior adaptation. Cases of poisoning by ionophore antibiotics occurred in 11 sheep, 18 buffaloes, and 4 cattle. In all cases, the source of exposure was mineral salt and/or feed with an excess of ionophores. The results of the laboratory tests varied according to the type of intoxication.Discussion: Among the means of diagnosing poisoning by toxic agents, minerals, and dietary additives, anamnesis should be detailed and highlighted to present all relevant information. It is the basis for toxicological diagnosis, because it generates information that helps in the definitive elucidation of cases and establishing control and prophylaxis plans, facilitates the prediction of prognosis, and directs the application of appropriate therapy, when possible. In the intoxication diagnoses reported here, the toxicological examination was important in elucidating the toxicosis caused by organophosphates, coumarin derivatives, arsenic, and copper, but the referral for toxicological analysis was previously indicated by a hypothesis generated during the anamnesis. Therefore, anamnesis becomes important yet elusive as toxicological examination leading to diagnosing intoxication.Keywords: toxicology, diagnosis, chemical substance, farm animals.Descritores: toxicologia, diagnóstico, substância química, animais de fazenda.

Estudo das deficiências minerais em vacas em lactação da bacia leiteira do município de Rondon do Pará, estado do Pará

We conducted a study of mineral deficiencies in lactating cows from dairy herds belonging to 13 properties of the milk basin of Rondon do Pará, in the state of Pará. We determined the levels of phosphorus (P), specific gravity and percentage of ash in the bone and levels of copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) in the liver of 47 dairy cows in lactation 2. These samples were collected by means of biopsies performed in the top third of the 12th rib on the right side and the caudal edge of the caudate lobe of the liver, respectively. The herds were composed of crossbred (Holstein x Zebu), kept in extensive production system on Brachiaria brizantha cv Marandu and received mineral supplementation. The mineral mixture in 12 properties were commercial type, called "full" and the owners added a quantity of salt above the manufacturer's recommendations in ten properties. In addition, the mineral mixtures were provided in troughs without covering in seven properties and in other eight, the providing of the mineral mix was not performed daily. In 11 properties there were clinical histories consistent with mineral deficiencies in livestock and placenta retention and osteophagia were the most frequently reported ones. The results of chemical analysis showed deficiency in P in five properties, in Co in two properties, in Se in eight properties, in Zn in eight properties. It is concluded that the deficiency of P, Se and Zn occurs in a greater proportion and the deficiency of Co occurs in a lesser proportion and the mineral supplementation performed in the properties do not supply the daily demands of P, Se and Co, based on the estimated daily consumption of 30 g of NaCl per animal and the troughs little adequate or inadequate for proper supplementation, as well as inconstant supply of mineral mixtures contribute to the deficiency of one or more minerals.CNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e TecnológicoRealizou-se um estudo das deficiências minerais em vacas em lactação de rebanhos leiteiros pertencentes a 13 propriedades da bacia leiteira do município de Rondon do Pará, estado do Pará. Foram determinados os níveis de fósforo (P), densidade específica e porcentagem de cinzas no osso, e os níveis de cobre (Cu), cobalto (Co), selênio (Se), zinco (Zn), ferro (Fe) e manganês (Mn) no fígado de 47 vacas leiteiras no 2º terço da lactação. Estas amostras foram coletadas por meio de biópsias realizadas no terço superior da 12ª costela do lado direito e no bordo caudal do lobo caudado do fígado, respectivamente. Os rebanhos eram formados por animais mestiços (Holandes x Zebu), mantidos em sistema de produção extensivo em pastos de Brachiaria brizantha cv Marandu e recebiam suplementação mineral. A mistura mineral em 12 propriedades era do tipo comercial, dita “completa”, acrescida de quantidades de NaCl acima do recomendado pelos fabricantes em dez propriedades. Em sete propriedades as misturas minerais eram fornecidas em cochos sem cobertura e em oito, o fornecimento da mistura mineral não era realizado diariamente. Em 11 propriedades, havia históricos clínicos condizentes com deficiências minerais nos rebanhos. Nessas fazendas a retenção de placenta e a osteofagia foram as alterações mais relatadas. Foi observado deficiência de P em cinco propriedades, de Co em duas propriedades, de Se e Zn em oito propriedades. Conclui-se que as deficiências de P, Se e Zn ocorreram em maior proporção e a de Co em menor proporção e que a suplementação mineral realizada na maioria das propriedades não atendeu as exigências diárias de P, Se e Co, baseadas no consumo estimado de 30 g de NaCl/animal/dia e que os cochos pouco adequados ou inadequados para a suplementação, assim como o fornecimento inconstante das misturas minerais contribuíram para a deficiência de um ou mais minerais

Brucelose em bubalinos

The domestication of water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) originated in India and China and spread throughout the world and represents an important source of food of high biological value. Given the importance and relevance of brucellosis for buffalo production, this article reviews the history, etiopathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical signs, anatomopathological findings, diagnosis and control of the disease, focusing on data from studies on water buffaloes performed in different countries and the Brazilian Amazon biome.A domesticação do búfalo (Bubalus bubalis) ocorreu particularmente na Índia e China, difundindo-se pelo mundo, gerando fontes de alimento de alto valor biológico. Diante da importância e relevância da brucelose para a bubalinocultura este trabalho tem por objetivo fazer uma revisão acerca do histórico da doença, etiopatogenia, fatores epidemiológicos, sinais clínicos, achados anatomopatológicos, diagnóstico e o controle, com enfoque nos dados obtidos em estudos em bubalinos no mundo e no Bioma Amazônico brasileiro