Mariano Valeria, Nardi Alberigo, Gradassi Sandra, De Santis Paola, Anniballi Fabrizio, Bilei Stefano, Scholl Francesco, Auricchio Bruna, Bielli Carla, Culicchi Massimo, Casali De Rosa Giuseppe Luca
Grosseto Section, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Regioni Lazio e Toscana "M. Aleandri", Italy, Via Europa 30, Grosseto, Italy..
Vet Ital. 2019 Mar 31;55(1):57-62. doi: 10.12834/VetIt.768.3714.2.
Botulism in cattle is rarely reported in Italy. This study describes an outbreak of botulism in a dairy herd in Central Italy in September 2012, and the notably high mortality rate it caused. Differential diagnoses involving toxicology and bacteriology, and electrolyte imbalances, all proved negative. A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detecting the BoNT gene led to the identification of the causative agent as Clostridium botulinum type DC. The presence of the toxin was confirmed subsequently via mouse bioassay. Initially, the peracute deaths and ambiguous clinical signs delayed the diagnosis and, as a result, impeded identification of the source of the infection on the farm. The severity of the outbreak demonstrates that screening for animal botulism should always form part of the diagnostic protocols used to investigate sudden peracute deaths without apparent cause in livestock.
在意大利，牛肉毒中毒鲜有报道。本研究描述了2012年9月意大利中部一个奶牛场爆发的肉毒中毒事件，以及此次事件导致的显著高死亡率。涉及毒理学、细菌学及电解质失衡的鉴别诊断结果均为阴性。用于检测肉毒毒素（BoNT）基因的多重聚合酶链反应（PCR）鉴定出病原体为DC型肉毒梭菌。随后通过小鼠生物测定法确认了毒素的存在。起初，超急性死亡和不明确的临床症状延误了诊断，进而妨碍了对农场感染源的识别。此次疫情的严重程度表明，对于牲畜不明原因的突然超急性死亡进行调查时，动物肉毒中毒筛查应始终作为诊断方案的一部分。
