Lesions in the brains of three cattle resembling the lesions of enterotoxaemia in lambs.
METHODS
A 3-month-old female Angus calf was found dead, and two adult Friesian dairy cows died soon after developing nervous signs.


RESULTS
Grossly, bilateral and mostly symmetrical areas of haemorrhage were evident that mainly involved areas of grey matter in the brainstem from the level of the caudal colliculi to the thalamus and, in one, the internal capsule and caudate nucleus. In the occipital and caudal parietal cortex, there was extensive oedema of white matter. Histologically, in addition to haemorrhage, there was protein-rich oedema around arterioles and venules in the cerebrum, hippocampus, internal capsule, thalamus, midbrain, dorsal medulla, and central cerebellar and cerebellar folial white matter. The calf 's brain had bilateral and symmetrical oedema and necrosis affecting several brainstem nuclei and the occipital grey matter overlying areas of oedema of the corona radiata.


METHODS
Although the cause was not established, the perivascular lesions resembled those produced in calves by the intravenous administration of epsilon toxin.


CONCLUSIONS
It is possible that epsilon toxin-induced enterotoxaemia occurs naturally in cattle, and where bilateral haemorrhage is recognised in the brains of cattle, small intestinal contents should be collected for analysis of epsilon toxin.
Fairley
R A
RA
Gribbles Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand. rob.fairley@gribbles.co.nz
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D004767:Enterotoxemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; C039811:Clostridium perfringens epsilon-toxin