Agalactia in mares fed with grain contaminated with Claviceps purpurea.

The research article discusses an incident where twelve pregnant mares ingested grain contaminated with Claviceps purpurea, a fungus, leading to underdeveloped mammary glands and causing the horses to produce little to no milk after giving birth, a condition known as agalactia. The effects of this led to weakened foals that died shortly after birth.

Details of the Outbreak

• Location: The incident took place in the southern part of Brazil.
• Subjects: The mares affected were all pregnant and were fed on a diet of black oat (Avena strigosa) during their pre-delivery period.
• Result of intoxication: The main result of the Claviceps purpurea poisoning was that the mares developed underdeveloped mammary glands leading to issues with their milk production after giving birth, a condition known as agalactia. This, in turn, led to weakened babies who did not show the normal reflex to suckle and unfortunately died within a few hours of birth.

Lab Analysis and Findings

• The researchers conducted laboratory tests on the oat samples that had been fed to the animals. From these analyses, they identified the causative agent of the intoxication as sclerotia of Claviceps purpurea, a type of fungus.
• The fungus was found to be present in 0.22% of the oat seeds that were examined.

Implications and Conclusions

• This research highlights the potential risks and threats posed to livestock from their diet, particularly if that diet includes feed that may be contaminated with harmful substances like Claviceps purpurea. The extensive harm caused in this instance, including the death of newborn foals, underscores the seriousness of such a risk.
• As a result of this study, it also becomes clear that there needs to be increased scrutiny on the quality and safety of animal feed to prevent further occurrences of such detrimental outcomes.