Botulism is a serious neurological disease caused by the ingestion of botulinum toxin (a poison) from contaminated feed. Even the smallest amounts of this toxin can cause severe poisoning in horses, leading to death.
The disease is caused by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which is found worldwide in soil, water, and agricultural products. The bacterium can survive in the environment for long periods of time by forming very resistant spores (a form of survival). In this form, it is not infectious to humans or animals. It is only when one of seven different neurotoxins (= nerve toxins) is formed that it becomes dangerous. Botulinum toxin is considered the most powerful of all bacterial toxins.
The spores require an airtight, protein-rich, and moist environment with a pH value above 4.5 to germinate. Airtight silage bales, for example, into which the bacterial spores enter via water, soil, or small rodents during the processing process, provide ideal conditions for germination, reproduction, and toxin formation.
The toxins are absorbed into the horse's gastrointestinal tract with the feed, from where they enter the bloodstream via the intestinal mucosa and spread throughout the body. The toxin acts in particular on the nerve cells, where it blocks the transmission of stimuli from the nerves to the muscles, resulting in flaccid paralysis.
In the much rarer case of wound botulism, the bacteria enter a wound and can multiply there in the absence of air. The toxin produced also enters the horse's bloodstream.
Another special form occurs when the bacteria are ingested with food, followed by multiplication and toxin formation in the gastrointestinal tract. This form is most common in young foals and is known as "shaker foal syndrome." The intestinal flora of adult horses appears to have a protective mechanism against the multiplication and absorption of the spores.
The incubation period, i.e. the time between ingestion of the toxin and the onset of clinical symptoms, can range from 12 hours to several days, depending on the amount of toxin ingested. The shorter the incubation period, the more severe the disease.
In acute cases, sudden severe paralysis with recumbency and respiratory distress may occur. However, the signs of the disease often develop slowly and progressively over several days. Paralysis usually begins in the hindquarters and spreads to the body and neck, eventually affecting the jaw, tongue, and throat muscles. This results in difficulty swallowing, which is often the first sign noticed by the owner as a slowing down of eating behavior. Affected horses salivate more and let their tongues hang out. Eyelid and tail movements are also significantly reduced. As the disease progresses, it can lead to unsteady gait, weakness, colic symptoms, visual disturbances, and muscle tremors, and even recumbency. A characteristic feature of botulism is that the horses remain conscious, do not show fever, and do not suffer from pain. In most cases, death occurs due to paralysis of the respiratory muscles and subsequent suffocation.
Diagnosis in live animals is not easy for veterinarians. Based on the clinical findings, they can only make a tentative diagnosis. The clinical signs are not always immediately specific, and other diseases with similar symptoms must be ruled out.
Definitive proof can only be provided by detecting botulinum toxin in the gastrointestinal tract, blood serum, or wounds. However, detection in living animals is extremely rare, and the absence of evidence does not mean that the toxin is not present. Another way to detect the presence of the toxin is through animal testing. This involves administering blood serum from sick horses to mice. The test is considered positive if the test animals exhibit certain behaviors and die shortly thereafter.
The disease is incurable. An antidote could stop the disease in its early stages, before the toxin binds to the nerve cells. However, such an antidote only exists in human medicine, is only effective against certain types of toxins, and is very expensive (2,500 to 3,000 euros). For this reason, the general approach is limited to purely symptomatic treatment. This includes replenishing fluid loss through infusions, feeding through a nasogastric tube, medication to relax the muscles, and in some cases antibiotics.
If the disease has progressed to the point where the affected animals are unable to move, they should be euthanized for animal welfare reasons, as the paralysis is irreversible at this stage.
The prognosis for botulism is poor, even though some animals may survive the disease. In general, the sooner the animals are able to stand and eat again, the better the prognosis.
Due to the incurable nature of the disease, appropriate preventive measures are extremely important. However, there is currently no protective vaccination available in Germany. As the disease is almost exclusively caused by contaminated silage, particular attention should be paid to stable hygiene and the quality of this feed. Good silage can be recognized by an intact tarpaulin, a slightly sour aroma, a slightly brownish-green appearance, the dry matter content, and the pH value (measuring device required). Even during silage production, mowing at a cutting height of 10 cm instead of directly above the ground can prevent soil and animal carcasses from being enclosed in the bales.
Stables and pastures should also be checked regularly for animal carcasses, and poultry manure should not be used as fertilizer, as this is particularly conducive to the spread of the pathogen. Spoiled silage should be burned and not disposed of on the manure heap, as the bacteria can otherwise continue to multiply there.
Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease that primarily affects cats but can also be transmitted to humans, which is why it is classified as a zoonosis. Humans are considered intermediate hosts, although clinical symptoms do not usually occur. It only becomes truly dangerous when pregnant women come into contact with toxoplasma for the first time and the pathogen infects the unborn child.
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