By Araya, O. and Ducom, C. and Villa, A. and Wittwer, F., Veterinary Record, 1990
Description
An outbreak of bovine fluorosis which affected 6 of 12 cows on a farm in the Lonquimay valley early in 1989 is reported. The outbreak occurred 10 weeks after the Lonquimay volcanic complex in the southern Andes began erupting and is the first reported case of cattle fluorosis due to volcanic eruption in South America. The main clinical signs were weight loss, kyphosis and lameness; diarrhoea was also seen in many sick animals. Exostoses and intense pain were observed when long bones were palpated. These signs were also seen in 70 of 500 cattle on neighbouring farms in subsequent weeks. A high degree of attrition was found in the incisors with almost total crown loss in many of them. Examination of blood profiles and fluoride concentrations in urine and bone biopsies from 11 sick animals and water, ash and forage samples from the area showed higher activities than normal of aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and abnormally high values of fluoride concentration in animal tissues and forage. It is suggested that the fluoride contaminated forage (240-315 ppm [mg/kg] dry weight compared with the maximum allowable concentration of about 40 ppm dry weight to avoid chronic fluorosis) was the main route of cattle contamination
An outbreak of bovine fluorosis which affected 6 of 12 cows on a farm in the Lonquimay valley early in 1989 is reported. The outbreak occurred 10 weeks after the Lonquimay volcanic complex in the southern Andes began erupting and is the first reported case of cattle fluorosis due to volcanic eruption in South America. The main clinical signs were weight loss, kyphosis and lameness; diarrhoea was also seen in many sick animals. Exostoses and intense pain were observed when long bones were palpated. These signs were also seen in 70 of 500 cattle on neighbouring farms in subsequent weeks. A high degree of attrition was found in the incisors with almost total crown loss in many of them. Examination of blood profiles and fluoride concentrations in urine and bone biopsies from 11 sick animals and water, ash and forage samples from the area showed higher activities than normal of aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and abnormally high values of fluoride concentration in animal tissues and forage. It is suggested that the fluoride contaminated forage (240-315 ppm [mg/kg] dry weight compared with the maximum allowable concentration of about 40 ppm dry weight to avoid chronic fluorosis) was the main route of cattle contamination
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