Is polioencephalomalacia associated with high-sulfate diets?

During 1979 and 1980, rations containing high concentrations of gypsum or other sulfate salts were noticed to be a common feature of several episodes of polioencephalomalacia (PEM) diagnosed at the University of Missouri-Columbia Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (VMDL). A retrospective study of 72 herds represented by all 6- to 18-month-old cattle necropsied at the VMDL between Sept 1 and Dec 31, 1980, was undertaken. Information about diet and husbandry was collected for each herd by interviews with the owner. Polioencephalomalacia occurred in 18 of 21 herds fed high-sulfate (greater than 2 % sulfate) rations, but in only 1 of 51 herds not fed such rations. The data demonstrated a statistically significant and possible causal relationship between PEM in cattle and high-sulfate rations.