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Case Reports
. 2010 May;51(5):515-8.

Peracute selenium toxicosis followed by sudden death in growing and finishing pigs

Heiko Nathues  1 , Inge Boehne, Thomas grosse Beilage, Ingo Gerhauser, Marion Hewicker-Trautwein, Petra Wolf, Josef Kamphues, Elisabeth grosse Beilage
Affiliations
Case Reports

Peracute selenium toxicosis followed by sudden death in growing and finishing pigs

Heiko Nathues et al. Can Vet J. 2010 May.

Abstract
in English, French

Fattening pigs (n = 751) showed progressive apathy, paralysis, and sudden death after accidental ingestion of excessive concentrations of selenium in mineral feed. Selenium concentrations of 1.09 to 1.32 mg/L in the serum confirmed the diagnosis. Within 3 d all pigs had died spontaneously or were euthanized due to the grave prognosis and on welfare grounds.

Toxicose suraiguë au sélénium suivie de mort soudaine chez des porcs en croissance et des porcs de finition. Des porcs d’engraissement (n = 751) ont manifesté une apathie progressive et de la paralysie, puis sont morts soudainement après l’ingestion accidentelle de concentrations excessives de sélénium dans les aliments minéraux. Des concentrations sériques de sélénium de 1,09 à 1,32 mg/L ont confirmé le diagnostic. En l’espace de trois jours, tous les porcs sont morts spontanément ou ont été euthanasiés en raison d’un pronostic sombre et pour des raisons de bien-être.

(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières)

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Pigs suffering from posterior paralysis. Note the abnormal position of the hind limbs. These animals were photographed 36 h after ingestion of a diet containing 56.8 mg selenium/kg wet diet (based on 88% dry matter).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Medulla oblongata of an affected pig. Severe focal hemorrhage (arrow) and moderate focal polioencephalomalacia. Bar = 200 μm. GM = grey matter. WM = white matter. Insert: Acute eosinophilic necrosis of multiple neurons (arrows). Note intact neuron with Nissl substance (arrowheads). Bar = 40 μm.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Spinal cord, ventral horn, pig. Moderate, focal poliomyelomalacia. Bar = 100 μm. GM = grey matter. WM = white matter. Insert (high power view of the area delineated by a black rectangle): Focal, mild hemorrhage (arrow) and acute, eosinophilic necrosis of neurons (arrowheads). Bar = 14 μm.
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