A paralytic disease in swine was observed on three farms located in the same geographical area of Georgia. Postmortem examinations revealed the paralysis to be related to spinal poliomalacia. Feed collected from two of the affected farms was used in a feeding study, and the paralytic condition was reproduced. In pigs from both the feeding trial and field cases, the poliomyelomalacia was characterized by focal, symmetrical lesions located in the cervical and lumbar intumescences. Selenium was detected in the feed at levels ranging from 19 to 24 ppm.
References
1.
BuckW.B.OsweilerG.D.Van GelderG.A.:
Clinical and Diagnostic Veterinary Toxicology,
pp. 345–354.
Kendall/Hunt,
Dubuque.
1976.
2.
DraizeJ.H.BeathO.A.:
Observations on the pathology of blind staggers and alkali disease.
J Am Vet Med Assoc86:
753–763,
1935.
3.
HerigstadR.R.WhitehairC.K.OlsonO.E.:
Inorganic and organic selenium toxicosis in young swine: Comparison of pathologic changes with those in swine with vitamin E-selenium deficiency.
Am J Vet Res34:
1227–1238,
1973.
4.
InnesJ.R.M.PlowrightW.:
Focal symmetrical poliomalacia in sheep in Kenya.
J Neuropathol Exp Neurol14:
185–197,
1955.
5.
MahanD.C.MoxonA.L.:
Toxic dietary and injectable selenium levels for young pigs.
Ohio Swine Research and Industry Report. Ohio Agric Exp Station, Animal Sci Series 79–2,
pp. 25–30,
1979.
6.
MillerW.T.SchoeningH.W.:
Toxicity of selenium fed to swine in the form of sodium selenite.
J Agric Res56:
831–842,
1938.
7.
OlsonO.E.:
Selenium in plants as a cause of livestock poisoning.
In:
Effects of Poisonous Plants on Livestock,
ed. KeeplerVanKempenLynn. pp. 121–133.
Academic Press,
New York,
1978.
8.
OrstadiusK.:
Toxicity of a single subcutaneous dose of sodium selenite in pigs.
Nature188:
1117,
1960.
9.
O'SullivanB.M.BlakemoreW.F.:
Acute nicotinamide deficiency in pigs.
Vet Res103:
543–544,
1978.
10.
PlowrightW.:
Paralysis of sheep in Kenya due to focal and symmetrical spinal poliomalacia.
Vet Res66:
25–27,
1954.
11.
RosenfieldI.BeathD.A.:
Pathology of selenium poisoning.
Wyoming Agric Exp Station Bull257:
3–27,
1964.
12.
SchulzL.C.:
Partiella rukenmarkserweichung und paralyse der schulterextremitaten bei einem schwein.
Dtsch Tieraerztl Wochenschr63:
89–92,
1956.
13.
Van HouwelingC.D.:
Selenium in animal feeds.
J Am Vet Med Assoc175:
298–300,
1980.
