High mortalities among one-humped camels (Camelus dromedarius) due to salinomycin poisoning in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Authors

  • Mukhtar Taha Abu-Samra
  • Yassir Adam Shuaib

Keywords:

Camels, High mortalities, Wheat bran, Salinomycin, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the cause of death of large number of camels during an outbreak in Saudi Arabia.

Material and methods: History was taken from the camel owners and breeders. Besides, clinical and post-mortem (PM) examinations were conducted. In this study, ten locations were surveyed and all camels were examined. Wheat bran was suspected as the source of the havoc. For establishing this assumption, a feeding trial was conducted with three camels, six mice, one rabbit and four of each chickens and ducklings using the incriminated wheat bran. Samples were collected from the suspicious wheat bran and the afflected animals, and were sent to international reference laboratories for diagnosis. The clinical signs elicited by the feeding trial were compared with the signs recorded in the outbreak.

Results: The body temperature of the affected camels ranged from 36.4°C to 41.9°C. The clinical signs included hyper-excitability, muscle tremors, in-coordination of the hind quarters, sternal or lateral recumbence, inability to stand, and death. PM examination revealed no remarkable pathological changes in internal organs but the rumens were full of gases, and showed hyperemia and petechial hemorrhages. Within a period of twelve days from the onset of the crisis, 2,800 of the affected camels died. The clinical signs showed by the two camels in the feeding trial were similar to those observed in field outbreak. The tentative diagnosis of toxicosis, which was made based on the clinical signs was confirmed by the reference laboratories. Salinomycin (300 to 400 mg/Kg feed), Aluminium (230 ppm), Aspergillus clavatus and A. flavus were detected in the incriminated wheat bran.

Conclusion: Salinomycin causes heavy mortalities in one-humped camels in the affected areas. Owners and breeders are adviced to avoid feeding low quality feed to their camels.

http://doi.org/10.5455/javar.2017.d206   

XML      PubReader

            

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
Abstract
24
PDF
20

Author Biographies

Mukhtar Taha Abu-Samra

College of Veterinary Medicine, Sudan University of Science and Technology, PO Box: 204 (Hilat Kuku), Khartoum North, the Sudan.

Yassir Adam Shuaib

College of Veterinary Medicine, Sudan University of Science and Technology, PO Box: 204 (Hilat Kuku), Khartoum North, the Sudan.

Downloads

Published

2017-07-24

How to Cite

Abu-Samra, M. T., & Shuaib, Y. A. (2017). High mortalities among one-humped camels (Camelus dromedarius) due to salinomycin poisoning in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Journal of Advanced Veterinary and Animal Research, 4(2), 214–221. Retrieved from https://banglajol.info/index.php/JAVAR/article/view/33126

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2017)

Section

Short Communications

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).