Senecio spp. transboundary introduction and expansion affecting cattle in Uruguay: clinico-pathological, epidemiological and genetic survey, and experimental intoxication with Senecio oxyphyllus.

Senecio spp. transboundary introduction and expansion affecting cattle in Uruguay: clinico-pathological, epidemiological and genetic survey, and experimental intoxication with Senecio oxyphyllus. Toxicon. 2019 Nov 27;: Authors: García JA, Rosas JE, García Y Santos C, Streitenberger N, Feijoo M, Dutra F Abstract The genus Senecio is distributed worldwide, being responsible of poisoning in livestock and humans. Many species of Senecio have high invasion and expansion capacity, highly competitive with agricultural and native plant species, causing ecological damage. Particularly in Uruguay, poisoning by Senecio have grown exponentially to reach epidemic proportions. Herein we describe Seneciosis as a re-emerging and expanding epidemic disease affecting cattle, by describing clinico-pathological, epidemiological and genetic variation of species involved, as well as an experimental intoxication with Senecio oxyphyllus. For this, a study was carried out on 28 cattle farms in Eastern Uruguay, with history of seneciosis from 2010 to 2016. Plants of fifty populations of Senecio were sampled, in 2015 and 2016, for identification, analysis of alkaloids and study of genetic variation. In turn, post-mortem examination was performed in cattle of natural and an experimental case to confirm the intoxication, showing microscopic characteristic lesions (hepatomegalocytosis, diffuse fibrosis and ductal reaction). Four species of Senecio were identifi...
Source: Toxicon - Category: Toxicology Authors: Tags: Toxicon Source Type: research