Gerber V, Straub R, Frey J
Equine Clinic, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse-Faculty University of Berne, Switzerland.
Schweiz Arch Tierheilkd. 2006 Oct;148(10):553-9. doi: 10.1024/0036-7281.148.10.553.
In Switzerland, the incidence of equine botulism and acute pasture myodystrophy have remarkably increased in the last five years. Equine fodder-borne botulism in Europe is most likely caused by Clostridium botulinum types C and D that produce the toxins BoNT/C and BoNT/D. Horses showing signs suggestive of botulism (muscle weakness and tremors, reduced tongue tone, slow chewing, salivation and difficulties swallowing, drooping eyelids, mydriasis), especially patients that have fed on suspect fodder (mostly haylage), must be treated with anti-serum as soon as possible. They also need intensive care, which is often difficult to provide and always expensive in the face of a guarded to poor prognosis. Therefore, prevention (high standards of forage quality and vaccination) is all the more important. Pasture myodystrophy is an acute disease with signs of rhabdomyolysis and lethality rate over 90%. It affects grazing horses under frosty, windy and rainy conditions. Preliminary results indicate that Clostridium sordellii and Clostridium bifermentans producing lethal toxin may play a role in pasture myodystrophy. Our efforts concentrate on developing a new subunit vaccine for equine botulism and understanding the ethiology and pathogenesis of pasture myodystrophy with the goal of improving prevention against these highly fatal diseases that present a significant risk to our horse population.
在瑞士，马肉毒中毒和急性牧场肌营养不良的发病率在过去五年中显著上升。欧洲马的饲料源性肉毒中毒很可能是由产生肉毒杆菌毒素C型和D型（BoNT/C和BoNT/D）的肉毒梭菌引起的。出现肉毒中毒迹象（肌肉无力和震颤、舌张力降低、咀嚼缓慢、流涎和吞咽困难、眼睑下垂、瞳孔散大）的马匹，尤其是食用了可疑饲料（主要是青贮饲料）的病马，必须尽快用抗血清进行治疗。它们还需要重症监护，而面对预后不佳的情况，重症监护往往难以提供且费用高昂。因此，预防（高标准的草料质量和疫苗接种）就显得尤为重要。牧场肌营养不良是一种急性疾病，具有横纹肌溶解的症状，致死率超过90%。它会影响在寒冷、多风多雨条件下放牧的马匹。初步结果表明，产生致死毒素的索氏梭菌和双发酵梭菌可能在牧场肌营养不良中起作用。我们的工作重点是开发一种新的马肉毒中毒亚单位疫苗，并了解牧场肌营养不良的病因和发病机制，目标是更好地预防这些对我们的马群构成重大风险的高度致命疾病。
