A large outbreak in Argentina of type D botulism in vaccinated cattle associated with phosphorus deficiency and osteophagy

Autores
Caspe, Sergio Gaston; Della Rosa, Paola; Sala, Juan Manuel; Uzal, Francisco
Año de publicación
2026
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
Bovine botulism is a lethal disease caused by Clostridium botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT). In cattle, the most frequent form of this disease in several South American countries and elsewhere is caused by BoNT type D, which has been associated with phosphorus deficiency, leading to pica and osteophagy. An outbreak of botulism occurred in a fully vaccinated 600-steer herd of cattle. The cattle were grazing on native pasture in a paddock in which several decomposing animal carcasses were found; the animals had performed osteophagy. The first 2 deaths were recorded in November 2016, and the number of fatalities increased to 84 through April of 2017. All the cases had similar clinical signs, which were consistent with botulism. The affected animals had hypophosphatemia and rear-leg weakness, ataxia, progressive flaccid paralysis of several muscles, recumbency, and death. Autopsies were performed on 3 animals; gross findings included hydropericardium, congestion of the cerebellum, and bone fragments and stones in the rumen and reticulum. Botulism was confirmed in the 3 animals by detecting BoNT type D by mouse bioassay. A large outbreak of botulism in vaccinated cattle associated with phosphorus deficiency and osteophagy has not been reported previously in Argentina, to our knowledge. Our case demonstrates that, even in vaccinated herds, rigorous carcass management is essential to reduce the risk of environmental contamination and to prevent fatal botulism outbreaks, especially in phosphorus-deficient areas. Improved reporting of similar cases is vital to refine prevention strategies and reduce the economic impact of the disease.
EEA Bella Vista
Fil: Caspe, Sergio Gaston. Moredun Research Institute, Reino Unido
Fil: Della Rosa, Paola. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bella Vista. Agencia de Extensión Rural Goya; Argentina
Fil: Sala, Juan Manuel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Mercedes; Argentina
Fil: Uzal, Francisco A. University of California–Davis. California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System; Estados Unidos
Fuente
Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation : 1-5. (First published online January 29, 2026)
Materia
Ganado Bovino
Enfermedades de los Animales
Botulismo
Fósforo
Deficiencia Nutritiva
Argentina
Cattle
Animal Diseases
Botulism
Phosphorus
Nutrient Deficiencies
Osteofagia
Osteophagy
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso restringido
Condiciones de uso
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Repositorio
INTA Digital (INTA)
Institución
Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
OAI Identificador
oai:localhost:20.500.12123/25201
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oai_identifier_str oai:localhost:20.500.12123/25201
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spelling A large outbreak in Argentina of type D botulism in vaccinated cattle associated with phosphorus deficiency and osteophagyCaspe, Sergio GastonDella Rosa, PaolaSala, Juan ManuelUzal, FranciscoGanado BovinoEnfermedades de los AnimalesBotulismoFósforoDeficiencia NutritivaArgentinaCattleAnimal DiseasesBotulismPhosphorusNutrient DeficienciesOsteofagiaOsteophagyBovine botulism is a lethal disease caused by Clostridium botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT). In cattle, the most frequent form of this disease in several South American countries and elsewhere is caused by BoNT type D, which has been associated with phosphorus deficiency, leading to pica and osteophagy. An outbreak of botulism occurred in a fully vaccinated 600-steer herd of cattle. The cattle were grazing on native pasture in a paddock in which several decomposing animal carcasses were found; the animals had performed osteophagy. The first 2 deaths were recorded in November 2016, and the number of fatalities increased to 84 through April of 2017. All the cases had similar clinical signs, which were consistent with botulism. The affected animals had hypophosphatemia and rear-leg weakness, ataxia, progressive flaccid paralysis of several muscles, recumbency, and death. Autopsies were performed on 3 animals; gross findings included hydropericardium, congestion of the cerebellum, and bone fragments and stones in the rumen and reticulum. Botulism was confirmed in the 3 animals by detecting BoNT type D by mouse bioassay. A large outbreak of botulism in vaccinated cattle associated with phosphorus deficiency and osteophagy has not been reported previously in Argentina, to our knowledge. Our case demonstrates that, even in vaccinated herds, rigorous carcass management is essential to reduce the risk of environmental contamination and to prevent fatal botulism outbreaks, especially in phosphorus-deficient areas. Improved reporting of similar cases is vital to refine prevention strategies and reduce the economic impact of the disease.EEA Bella VistaFil: Caspe, Sergio Gaston. Moredun Research Institute, Reino UnidoFil: Della Rosa, Paola. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bella Vista. Agencia de Extensión Rural Goya; ArgentinaFil: Sala, Juan Manuel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Mercedes; ArgentinaFil: Uzal, Francisco A. University of California–Davis. California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System; Estados UnidosSage Publications2026-02-13T13:08:26Z2026-02-13T13:08:26Z2026-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/25201https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/104063872514126251040-63871943-4936https://doi.org/10.1177/10406387251412625Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation : 1-5. (First published online January 29, 2026)reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariaenginfo:eu-repograntAgreement/INTA/2019-RIST-E5-I111-001, Laboratorios de Diagnóstico Veterinarioinfo:eu-repograntAgreement/INTA/2023-PE-L01-I050, Aporte a la sostenibilidad de los sistemas ganaderos del NEAinfo:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccesshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)2026-02-26T11:47:42Zoai:localhost:20.500.12123/25201instacron:INTAInstitucionalhttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/oai/requesttripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:l2026-02-26 11:47:42.567INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariafalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv A large outbreak in Argentina of type D botulism in vaccinated cattle associated with phosphorus deficiency and osteophagy
title A large outbreak in Argentina of type D botulism in vaccinated cattle associated with phosphorus deficiency and osteophagy
spellingShingle A large outbreak in Argentina of type D botulism in vaccinated cattle associated with phosphorus deficiency and osteophagy
Caspe, Sergio Gaston
Ganado Bovino
Enfermedades de los Animales
Botulismo
Fósforo
Deficiencia Nutritiva
Argentina
Cattle
Animal Diseases
Botulism
Phosphorus
Nutrient Deficiencies
Osteofagia
Osteophagy
title_short A large outbreak in Argentina of type D botulism in vaccinated cattle associated with phosphorus deficiency and osteophagy
title_full A large outbreak in Argentina of type D botulism in vaccinated cattle associated with phosphorus deficiency and osteophagy
title_fullStr A large outbreak in Argentina of type D botulism in vaccinated cattle associated with phosphorus deficiency and osteophagy
title_full_unstemmed A large outbreak in Argentina of type D botulism in vaccinated cattle associated with phosphorus deficiency and osteophagy
title_sort A large outbreak in Argentina of type D botulism in vaccinated cattle associated with phosphorus deficiency and osteophagy
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Caspe, Sergio Gaston
Della Rosa, Paola
Sala, Juan Manuel
Uzal, Francisco
author Caspe, Sergio Gaston
author_facet Caspe, Sergio Gaston
Della Rosa, Paola
Sala, Juan Manuel
Uzal, Francisco
author_role author
author2 Della Rosa, Paola
Sala, Juan Manuel
Uzal, Francisco
author2_role author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Ganado Bovino
Enfermedades de los Animales
Botulismo
Fósforo
Deficiencia Nutritiva
Argentina
Cattle
Animal Diseases
Botulism
Phosphorus
Nutrient Deficiencies
Osteofagia
Osteophagy
topic Ganado Bovino
Enfermedades de los Animales
Botulismo
Fósforo
Deficiencia Nutritiva
Argentina
Cattle
Animal Diseases
Botulism
Phosphorus
Nutrient Deficiencies
Osteofagia
Osteophagy
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Bovine botulism is a lethal disease caused by Clostridium botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT). In cattle, the most frequent form of this disease in several South American countries and elsewhere is caused by BoNT type D, which has been associated with phosphorus deficiency, leading to pica and osteophagy. An outbreak of botulism occurred in a fully vaccinated 600-steer herd of cattle. The cattle were grazing on native pasture in a paddock in which several decomposing animal carcasses were found; the animals had performed osteophagy. The first 2 deaths were recorded in November 2016, and the number of fatalities increased to 84 through April of 2017. All the cases had similar clinical signs, which were consistent with botulism. The affected animals had hypophosphatemia and rear-leg weakness, ataxia, progressive flaccid paralysis of several muscles, recumbency, and death. Autopsies were performed on 3 animals; gross findings included hydropericardium, congestion of the cerebellum, and bone fragments and stones in the rumen and reticulum. Botulism was confirmed in the 3 animals by detecting BoNT type D by mouse bioassay. A large outbreak of botulism in vaccinated cattle associated with phosphorus deficiency and osteophagy has not been reported previously in Argentina, to our knowledge. Our case demonstrates that, even in vaccinated herds, rigorous carcass management is essential to reduce the risk of environmental contamination and to prevent fatal botulism outbreaks, especially in phosphorus-deficient areas. Improved reporting of similar cases is vital to refine prevention strategies and reduce the economic impact of the disease.
EEA Bella Vista
Fil: Caspe, Sergio Gaston. Moredun Research Institute, Reino Unido
Fil: Della Rosa, Paola. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bella Vista. Agencia de Extensión Rural Goya; Argentina
Fil: Sala, Juan Manuel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Mercedes; Argentina
Fil: Uzal, Francisco A. University of California–Davis. California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System; Estados Unidos
description Bovine botulism is a lethal disease caused by Clostridium botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT). In cattle, the most frequent form of this disease in several South American countries and elsewhere is caused by BoNT type D, which has been associated with phosphorus deficiency, leading to pica and osteophagy. An outbreak of botulism occurred in a fully vaccinated 600-steer herd of cattle. The cattle were grazing on native pasture in a paddock in which several decomposing animal carcasses were found; the animals had performed osteophagy. The first 2 deaths were recorded in November 2016, and the number of fatalities increased to 84 through April of 2017. All the cases had similar clinical signs, which were consistent with botulism. The affected animals had hypophosphatemia and rear-leg weakness, ataxia, progressive flaccid paralysis of several muscles, recumbency, and death. Autopsies were performed on 3 animals; gross findings included hydropericardium, congestion of the cerebellum, and bone fragments and stones in the rumen and reticulum. Botulism was confirmed in the 3 animals by detecting BoNT type D by mouse bioassay. A large outbreak of botulism in vaccinated cattle associated with phosphorus deficiency and osteophagy has not been reported previously in Argentina, to our knowledge. Our case demonstrates that, even in vaccinated herds, rigorous carcass management is essential to reduce the risk of environmental contamination and to prevent fatal botulism outbreaks, especially in phosphorus-deficient areas. Improved reporting of similar cases is vital to refine prevention strategies and reduce the economic impact of the disease.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2026-02-13T13:08:26Z
2026-02-13T13:08:26Z
2026-01
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/25201
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10406387251412625
1040-6387
1943-4936
https://doi.org/10.1177/10406387251412625
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/25201
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10406387251412625
https://doi.org/10.1177/10406387251412625
identifier_str_mv 1040-6387
1943-4936
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repograntAgreement/INTA/2019-RIST-E5-I111-001, Laboratorios de Diagnóstico Veterinario
info:eu-repograntAgreement/INTA/2023-PE-L01-I050, Aporte a la sostenibilidad de los sistemas ganaderos del NEA
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
eu_rights_str_mv restrictedAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Sage Publications
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Sage Publications
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation : 1-5. (First published online January 29, 2026)
reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)
instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
reponame_str INTA Digital (INTA)
collection INTA Digital (INTA)
instname_str Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
repository.name.fl_str_mv INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
repository.mail.fl_str_mv tripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.ar
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score 13.176822

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