An outbreak of suspected Phalaris staggers in sheep in the western Cape Province.

An outbreak of suspected Phalaris staggers in South Africa is described. Approximately 40 out of 600 sheep that had been grazing for 3 weeks on a wheat stubble land heavily infested with Phalaris grass, were affected. Clinical signs included nervous tremors, ataxia and convulsions. New cases occurred even after removal from the affected pasture. The most prominent microscopic lesion seen in the 2 sheep autopsied, was an accumulation of intracytoplasmic brown pigment in the neurons of the brain.