Jensen W I, Allen J P
Avian Dis. 1981 Jan-Mar;25(1):184-94.
Castor bean (Ricinus communis) poisoning accounted for the death of several thousand ducks in the Texas panhandle in the fall and winter months of 1969-1971. Signs of intoxication resembled those of botulism, except for mucoid, blood-tinged excreta. The most common lesions were severe fatty change in the liver, widely distributed internal petechial hemorrhages or ecchymoses, and catarrhal enteritis. Nearly intact castor beans were found in the stomach of one duck during field necropsy. Fragments of seed coat resembling castor bean were found in the stomachs of 10 of 14 ducks examined in the laboratory. Clinical signs and postmortem lesions observed in wild ducks were induced experimentally in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) by force-feeding intact castor beans. Toxicity titrations were erratic, but the LD50 appeared to be between three and four seeds. The mouse toxicity test, used to detect Clostridium botulinum toxin in the blood serum of intoxicated ducks, was negative in every case. Hemagglutination and precipitin tests generally failed to detect castor bean in extracts of excreta or intestinal contents of experimentally intoxicated ducks.
1969年至1971年秋冬季节，蓖麻子（Ricinus communis）中毒导致得克萨斯州狭长地带数千只鸭子死亡。中毒症状与肉毒中毒相似，但排泄物为黏液状且带血。最常见的病变是肝脏严重脂肪变性、广泛分布的内出血点或瘀斑以及卡他性肠炎。在野外尸检时，在一只鸭子的胃中发现了几乎完整的蓖麻子。在实验室检查的14只鸭子中，有10只鸭子的胃里发现了类似蓖麻子种皮的碎片。通过给绿头鸭（Anas platyrhynchos）强行喂食完整的蓖麻子，在野鸭身上实验性地诱发了在野鸭身上观察到的临床症状和死后病变。毒性滴定不稳定，但半数致死量似乎在三到四颗种子之间。用于检测中毒鸭子血清中肉毒梭菌毒素的小鼠毒性试验，在每种情况下均为阴性。血凝和沉淀试验通常未能在实验性中毒鸭子的排泄物或肠道内容物提取物中检测到蓖麻子。
