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Clinical and pathological studies on intoxication in horses from freshly cut Jimson weed (Datura stramonium)-contaminated maize intended for ensiling.
Abstract: Spontaneous intoxication in 34 horses after ingesting freshly harvested maize that was to be used for ensiling and heavily contaminated with young Datura stramonium plants, is described. The clinical status of all horses was monitored for 7 days, and included body (rectal) temperature, respiratory and heart rates, colour and moistness of visible mucosae, changes in pupil size, appetite, thirst, general behaviour, locomotion, sensory perceptions, urination and defaecation. The intoxication was accompanied by altered clinical status, namely mild hyperthermia, tachycardia, polypnoea, dyspnoea and shallow breathing, mydriasis, dry oral, rectal, vaginal and nasal mucosae, acute gastric dilatation and severe intestinal gas accumulation, anorexia to complete refusal of feed, decreased or absent thirst, absence of defaecation and urination. As a result of the treatment, the clinical parameters normalised between days 2 and 5. Necropsies and pathological studies were performed on two horses that died, revealing toxic liver dystrophy, cardiac lesions and substantial dystrophic and necrotic processes in the kidneys. The observed clinical signs, the pathomorphological changes and the applied therapy could be used in the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of Jimson weed intoxication.
Publication Date: 2007-04-27 PubMed ID: 17458348 The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
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Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
This research article chronicles the observation and treatment of 34 horses who incidentally ingested a toxic substance known as Datura stramonium, commonly called Jimson weed. The study details the intoxication symptoms, their duration, and the pathological findings in the two horses that unfortunately passed away.
Symptoms of Intoxication
The intoxication of the horses exhibited itself in several ways:
- Mild hyperthermia: elevated body temperature beyond normal range.
- Tachycardia: abnormally rapid heart rate.
- Polypnoea and dyspnoea: increased and difficult breathing respectively.
- Mydriasis: pupil dilation unrelated to light changes.
- Dryness of oral, rectal, vaginal, and nasal mucosae: Could potentially lead to increased risk of infection and discomfort.
- Acute gastric dilatation and severe intestinal gas accumulation: Indicates major digestive distress.
- Anorexia to complete refusal of feed, decreased or absent thirst: Horses show loss of appetite and thirst.
- Absence of defecation and urination: Signifying a problem with the digestive and urinary system functioning.
Treatment and Recovery
Upon treating the horses:
- Clinical parameters returned to normal between days 2-5: This signifies that the effects of the poisoning have lessened, and that the organism is recovering.
Postmortem Observations and Findings
Pathological studies were conducted on the horses that passed away, revealing:
- Toxic liver dystrophy: This indicates that Jimson weed toxins severely affected the functioning of the liver.
- Cardiac lesions: The heart was also affected, with tissue damage observed in cardiac structures.
- Dystrophic and necrotic processes in kidneys: The kidney cells were dying or already dead in significant amounts, showing that the Jimson weed toxins also damaged the kidneys.
The study proposes that the observed clinical signs, the pathomorphological changes, and the applied therapy could be used to diagnose, perform differential diagnosis, predict prognosis, and treat Jimson weed intoxication in future incidents.
Cite This Article
APA
Binev R, Valchev I, Nikolov J.
(2007).
Clinical and pathological studies on intoxication in horses from freshly cut Jimson weed (Datura stramonium)-contaminated maize intended for ensiling.
J S Afr Vet Assoc, 77(4), 215-219.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. binew@abv.bg
MeSH Terms
- Animal Feed / poisoning
- Animals
- Body Temperature / drug effects
- Datura stramonium / poisoning
- Diagnosis, Differential
- Fatal Outcome
- Female
- Food Contamination / analysis
- Heart Rate / drug effects
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Liver / pathology
- Male
- Plant Poisoning / complications
- Plant Poisoning / pathology
- Plant Poisoning / veterinary
- Prognosis
- Respiration / drug effects
- Time Factors
- Zea mays
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Mezzasalma V, Ganopoulos I, Galimberti A, Cornara L, Ferri E, Labra M. Poisonous or non-poisonous plants? DNA-based tools and applications for accurate identification. Int J Legal Med 2017 Jan;131(1):1-19.
- Cortinovis C, Caloni F. Alkaloid-Containing Plants Poisonous to Cattle and Horses in Europe. Toxins (Basel) 2015 Dec 8;7(12):5301-7.
- Amini M, Khosrojerdi H, Afshari R. Acute Datura Stramonium poisoning in East of Iran - a case series. Avicenna J Phytomed 2012 Spring;2(2):86-9.
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