Toxicoinfectious botulism in foals and adult horses.

The research is about toxicoinfectious botulism being identified as the cause of a certain type of paralytic syndrome in foals and adult horses, characterized by specific clinical signs and postmortem findings. Clostridium botulinum type B was isolated as the causative agent in these instances.

Summary of the Research

• The study investigated the cause behind a neuromuscular paralytic syndrome observed in foals and adult horses. Clostridium botulinum type B, which causes toxicoinfectious botulism, was identified to be responsible.
• In all eight cases studied, the said bacterium was detected at the time of the post-mortem examination of the affected animals.

Clinical Signs of the Disease

• The affected foals showed signs of progressive and symmetric motor paralysis. They either died without showing any prior signs of illness, or displayed symptoms including a stilted gait, muscular tremors, and an inability to stand for more than 4-5 minutes.
• Additional signs included difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia), constipation, dilated pupils (mydriasis), and frequent urination.
• The disease progressed to cause difficulty in breathing (dyspnea) often with the extension of the head and neck, a rapid heart rate (tachycardia) and eventually, respiratory failure.
• The death of the animals usually occurred 24-72 hours after the manifestation of these clinical symptoms.

Post-mortem Observations

• Post-mortem examinations revealed consistent findings of lung congestion and edema, and excessive pericardial fluid (fluid around the heart) containing free-floating strands of fibrin – a protein involved in blood clotting.
• Other findings included gastric ulcers, foci of necrosis (localized cell death) in the liver, abscesses in the navel and lungs, and wounds on the skin and muscle.
• These wounds, abscesses, and ulcers were identified to be potential sites conducive for the development of this toxicoinfectious botulism.