Plant poisonings in livestock in Brazil and South Africa

Authors

  • Mary-Louise Penrith University of Pretoria
  • Christo J Botha University of Pretoria
  • Royden C Tustin University of Pretoria

Abstract

Information on intoxication of livestock by plants in Brazil, in terms of cause, clinical signs and pathology, is compared with information on livestock poisoning by plants in South Africa. Plant poisoning, including mycotoxicosis, is considered to be one of three major causes of death in livestock in Brazil, which is one of the top beef producing countries in the world, with a cattle population of more than 200 million. Cattle production in South Africa is on a more modest scale, but with some 600 species of plants and fungi known to cause toxicity in livestock, as opposed to some 130 species in Brazil, the risk to livestock in South Africa
appears to be much greater. The comparisons discussed in this communication are largely restricted to ruminants.

Author Biographies

  • Mary-Louise Penrith, University of Pretoria

    Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, South Africa and TAD Scientific CC,
    Menlo Park, South Africa

  • Christo J Botha, University of Pretoria

    Department of Paraclinical Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa

  • Royden C Tustin, University of Pretoria

    Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Downloads

Published

2021-12-09

Issue

Vol. 86 No. 1 (2015)

Section

Short Communications