Biomaterial Database

[Poisoning in cattle caused by blue-green algae]. 1984

E Odriozola, and N Ballabene, and A Salamanco

Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Argentina.

This paper describes a case of poisoning by blue-green algae growing in a fresh water pond in Goyena, Provincia de Buenos Aires. The predominating algae were identified as Microcystis aeruginosa. They show an intense growth when certain meteorologic condition prevail, in coincidence with certain chemical characteristics of the water. Once this growth has occurred, the direction of the wind has a decisive role, because it determines the accumulation on the shore, increasing their concentration and consequently, the risk of poisonous action. From a total of 170 cows, 72 died after ingestion of algae in a lapse of 24 hours. Death was very sudden so that symptoms could be observed in only 10 animals: diarrhea, incoordination, excitability, dyspnea and death. The gross lesions observed were: full stomachs showing the presence of algae; a serum-blood collection in the abdominal cavity and congestive intestines. Histopathology showed nephrosis and probable hepatic centrolobular necrosis. Water toxicity was tested on laboratory animals and gave positive results. The gross lesions, the histological changes and the laboratory tests, confirm the toxicity of the water in the pond. Toxin detection in the digestive content of the poisoned animals has not been previously mentioned in the literature; it is a very valuable diagnostic method.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011041	Poisoning	A condition or physical state produced by the ingestion, injection, inhalation of or exposure to a deleterious agent.	Poisonings
D002417	Cattle	Domesticated bovine animals of the genus Bos, usually kept on a farm or ranch and used for the production of meat or dairy products or for heavy labor.	Beef Cow,Bos grunniens,Bos indicus,Bos indicus Cattle,Bos taurus,Cow,Cow, Domestic,Dairy Cow,Holstein Cow,Indicine Cattle,Taurine Cattle,Taurus Cattle,Yak,Zebu,Beef Cows,Bos indicus Cattles,Cattle, Bos indicus,Cattle, Indicine,Cattle, Taurine,Cattle, Taurus,Cattles, Bos indicus,Cattles, Indicine,Cattles, Taurine,Cattles, Taurus,Cow, Beef,Cow, Dairy,Cow, Holstein,Cows,Dairy Cows,Domestic Cow,Domestic Cows,Indicine Cattles,Taurine Cattles,Taurus Cattles,Yaks,Zebus
D002418	Cattle Diseases	Diseases of domestic cattle of the genus Bos. It includes diseases of cows, yaks, and zebus.	Bovine Diseases,Bovine Disease,Cattle Disease,Disease, Bovine,Disease, Cattle,Diseases, Bovine,Diseases, Cattle
D004196	Disease Outbreaks	Sudden increase in the incidence of a disease. The concept includes EPIDEMICS and PANDEMICS.	Outbreaks,Infectious Disease Outbreaks,Disease Outbreak,Disease Outbreak, Infectious,Disease Outbreaks, Infectious,Infectious Disease Outbreak,Outbreak, Disease,Outbreak, Infectious Disease,Outbreaks, Disease,Outbreaks, Infectious Disease
D005068	Eutrophication	The enrichment of a terrestrial or aquatic ECOSYSTEM by the addition of nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, that results in a superabundant growth of plants, ALGAE, or other primary producers. It can be a natural process or result from human activity such as agriculture runoff or sewage pollution. In aquatic ecosystems, an increase in the algae population is termed an algal bloom.	Algal Bloom,Algal Blooms,Bloom, Algal,Blooms, Algal,Eutrophications
D005260	Female		Females
D005618	Fresh Water	Water containing no significant amounts of salts, such as water from RIVERS and LAKES.	Freshwater,Fresh Waters,Freshwaters,Water, Fresh,Waters, Fresh
D000458	Cyanobacteria	A phylum of oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria comprised of unicellular to multicellular bacteria possessing CHLOROPHYLL a and carrying out oxygenic PHOTOSYNTHESIS. Cyanobacteria are the only known organisms capable of fixing both CARBON DIOXIDE (in the presence of light) and NITROGEN. Cell morphology can include nitrogen-fixing heterocysts and/or resting cells called akinetes. Formerly called blue-green algae, cyanobacteria were traditionally treated as ALGAE.	Algae, Blue-Green,Blue-Green Bacteria,Cyanophyceae,Algae, Blue Green,Bacteria, Blue Green,Bacteria, Blue-Green,Blue Green Algae,Blue Green Bacteria,Blue-Green Algae
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001118	Argentina	Country located in southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay.