Outbreaks of dermatopathy caused by Tephrosia noctiflora intoxication in Brazilian cattle

Abstract

This study aims to update the knowledge concerning the intoxication by Tephrosia noctiflora in Brazilian cattle herds by reporting new cases of intoxication in lactating cows, their calves and bulls and highlight the epidemiology, clinical signs, pathogenesis, gross, and microscopic lesions. The morbidity and mortality of this intoxication in the farms studied was low. Gross lesions in all affected cattle consisted of dermatitis with hyperpigmentation, crusts, ulceration, erythema, and lichenification in the skin of limbs, ventral abdomen, perianal and perineal areas of lactating calves and adult cattle. Microscopically, the main lesion observed consisted of severe dermatitis with parakeratotic hyperkeratosis, papillated proliferation, and diffuse, accentuated lymphoplasmacytic inflammatory infiltrate in the epidermis and dermis. The presence of skin lesions mainly in the limbs and ventral abdomen of cattle implies the pathogenesis of intoxication is related to a primary contact dermatitis, and the occurrence of similar lesions on the skin of nursing calves reinforces this hypothesis. The putative toxins of T. noctiflora have been thought to be rotenoids. Additional work is needed to define better if these compounds are the main toxin responsible for the dermatopathy observed in these herds.

Keywords: Cattle; Dermatitis; Pesticides; Rotenoids; Toxic plants.