Helman R G, Edwards W C
Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater 74078, USA.
J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1997 Oct 15;211(8):1018-21.
To document clinical signs and gross pathologic changes associated with naturally acquired cantharidiasis (blister beetle poisoning) in equids.
Retrospective study.
70 equids with laboratory-confirmed blister beetle poisoning.
Medical records were reviewed to obtain history, physical examination findings, feeding practices, and diagnostic test and necropsy results.
32 horses and 2 donkeys died from exposure to cantharidin, whereas 36 horses survived. Diet content varied, but alfalfa hay was the common component. Onset of signs of disease was rapid. Most equids had signs of gastrointestinal tract distress. Six horses had nonspecific neurologic signs. All equids dying from cantharidiasis were in shock terminally, with duration of clinical signs ranging from 3 to 18 hours. Six horses that died had no gross lesions, whereas 14 had mild to moderate erythema of gastric, small intestinal, or colonic mucosa. Only 2 horses had gastric or duodenal ulceration, and 2 had hemorrhage of the urinary bladder mucosa. One horse had cardiac muscle necrosis. Clinicopathologic data available on 10 horses included hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, and azotemia. Cantharidin concentrations in urine or pooled gastric-cecal contents did not always correlate with severity of disease.
Blister beetle poisoning is not universally fatal in equids. Clinical signs are related to the amount of cantharidin ingested. Every horse that survived was treated aggressively. In fatal poisonings, gross lesions may be minimal or inapparent, and diagnosis must be confirmed by chemical detection of cantharidin in urine, blood, or stomach or cecal contents.
记录马属动物自然感染斑蝥中毒（水疱甲虫中毒）相关的临床症状和大体病理变化。
回顾性研究。
70例经实验室确诊为水疱甲虫中毒的马属动物。
查阅病历以获取病史、体格检查结果、饲养方式以及诊断性检查和尸检结果。
32匹马和2头驴因接触斑蝥素死亡，36匹马存活。饮食内容各异，但苜蓿干草是常见成分。疾病症状发作迅速。大多数马属动物有胃肠道不适症状。6匹马有非特异性神经症状。所有死于斑蝥中毒的马属动物最终均处于休克状态，临床症状持续时间为3至18小时。6匹死亡的马没有明显病变，而14匹有胃、小肠或结肠黏膜轻度至中度红斑。只有2匹马有胃或十二指肠溃疡，2匹马有膀胱黏膜出血。1匹马有心肌坏死。10匹马的临床病理数据包括低钙血症、低镁血症和氮质血症。尿液或胃盲肠内容物混合样本中的斑蝥素浓度并不总是与疾病严重程度相关。
斑蝥中毒在马属动物中并非普遍致命。临床症状与摄入的斑蝥素量有关。每匹存活的马都接受了积极治疗。在致命中毒病例中，大体病变可能很轻微或不明显，必须通过对尿液、血液、胃或盲肠内容物进行斑蝥素化学检测来确诊。
