Type C botulism in young dogs.
A diffuse lower motor neurone paralysis developed in a 6-month-old male Australian cattle dog pup 4 days after it had eaten the carcase of a rotting duck in Centennial Park, Sydney. Two other dogs which ate smaller portions of the same carcase were less severely affected. Clostridium botulinum type C was isolated from and C. botulinum type C toxin was detected in faeces from the severely affected dog. The serum contained 25 LD50 of toxin/ml. The high C. botulinum count and toxin level in the faeces declined progressively during the ensuing weeks, but 114 days after ingesting the carcase C. botulinum type C was still present in faeces and a low toxin titre persisted. Soil, mud and water samples in the area of the duck ponds in the park contained C. botulinum type C spores. Spores and high toxin titres were also found in the intestine of the carcases of 2 birds in the area.
D000818:Animals; D001905:Botulinum Toxins / Q000032:analysis; D001906:Botulism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003014:Clostridium botulinum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D004285:Dogs; D010243:Paralysis / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary
D001905:Botulinum Toxins