Intoxicação por substâncias químicas e minerais em ruminantes no Brasil: diagnóstico epidemiológico, clínico e anatomopatológico, com ênfase na profilaxia

Abstract

Poisonous plants, mineral deficiencies, malnutrition, rabies, botulism, and parasitic diseases are considered the greatest causes of economic losses in Brazilian livestock, whereas, poisonous by chemical and mineral substances are constantly neglected in economic loss assessments, despite recognized as an important cause of death farm animals. Of many chemicals commonly used as pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and pharmaceutical purposes are harmful for livestock, for being responsible for deaths within the herd. Our study aimed to survey cases of poisoning by elements and mineral component diagnosed in the Anatomical Pathology Sector of the Rural Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (SAP/UFRRJ). Pathology, we performed an extensive literature review regarding this subject. Our data were collected throught the natural and experimental samples suspected of poisoning by elements and mineral component submitted histopathological evaluation at our sector between 1953 and 2017. The samples were fixed in 10% buffered formalin, processed routinely, embedded in paraffin wax and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE), Masson’s trichrome, Ziehl-Neelsen, and rubeanic acid. We evaluated the following elements and mineral component: abamectin, organophosphates, coumarin derivatives, lead, arsenic, ionophores antibiotics, urea, sodium chlorite, and copper. The diagnosis was based on the clinical, epidemiological, histopathological, and toxicological findings. Between 1953 and 2017 (Sixty-four years), we diagnosed 19 outbreaks and 25 isolated cases of poisoning by elements and mineral component in farm animals, which yielded 390 deaths. Of 83,9% (327) cattle, 7,7% (30) sheep, 5,1% (20) buffaloes, and 3,3% (13) goats. Outbreaks of cooper poisoning was associated with the of most frequents cause of death of farm animals in our study. The research emphasized the importance of prophylactic measures and reinforced the need to educate farmers about the danger of chemical elements and mineral supplements, hence the poisonous have a dark prognosis and are often untreatable.