Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Goats in Northeastern Brazil with nerve disease from eating Turbina
By Dantas, A F M et al.·Published in Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology·2007·Hospital Veteriná, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Swainsonine-induced lysosomal storage disease in goats caused by the ingestion of Turbina cordata in Northeastern Brazil.
- Species:
- goat
Plain-English summary
A group of goats in Northeastern Brazil developed serious central nervous system problems after eating a plant called Turbina cordata. Symptoms included difficulty standing, unsteady movements, tremors, and head tilting, which appeared within weeks of consuming the plant. The condition was linked to a toxic substance in the plant that caused damage to their nervous system and organs. Unfortunately, this issue has led to significant losses for goat farmers in the area, and there are reports of similar effects in cattle as well.
People also search for: goat neurological symptoms · Turbina cordata poisoning in goats · treatment for goat ataxia · why is my goat falling over · goat plant toxicity
Abstract
A disease of the central nervous system in goats was observed in the municipalities of Juazeiro, Casa Nova and Curaça, state of Bahia, and Petrolina, state of Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil. The disease was produced experimentally in two goats by the administration of dry Turbina cordata mixed with grain. Clinical signs were observed after the ingestion of 62 and 106 g/kg body weight in 28 and 54 days, respectively. The concentration of swainsonine in the plant varied from less than 0.001% to 0.14% (dry weight). Clinical signs of natural and experimental cases included difficulties in standing, ataxia, hypermetria, wide-based stance, intention tremors, spastic paresis mainly in the hind legs, nystagmus, abnormal postural reactions, head tilting, and falling. Diffuse vacuolation of neurons, epithelial cells of pancreas, thyroids, and renal tubules were observed on the histology. From the electron microscopy of Purkinje cells the vacuoles represented dilated lysosomes. These findings demonstrated that T. cordata causes an acquired glycoprotein lysosomal storage disease. The intoxication occurs at least in an area of 27,000 km2 causing severe losses in goats, and some farmers report the disease also in cattle.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17030054/