Type A Botulism in Horses Described in Case Review

Ten years of data from type A botulism outbreaks in horses helps us better understand the disease.
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An exhaustive review of 10 years of data involving three isolated cases and eight outbreaks of type A botulism in horses is anticipated to play an important role in establishing prevention and treatment strategies.

The botulinum toxin, produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, is the most potent and lethal toxin known to mankind. To make matters worse, there are eight different kinds of the toxin, three of which are known to affect horses in the United States.

"In the United States, horses are most commonly affected by Type B and only rarely by types C and A," explained lead researcher Amy L. Johnson, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM-LAIM, from New Bolton Center’s section of medicine.

Because equine outbreaks of C. botulinum type A have not been previously described despite the fact that the type A toxin is a predominant cause of botulism in humans, Johnson and colleagues reviewed records of test results submitted to the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine Botulism Laboratory between 1998 and 2008

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Written by:

Stacey Oke, MSc, DVM, is a practicing veterinarian and freelance medical writer and editor. She is interested in both large and small animals, as well as complementary and alternative medicine. Since 2005, she’s worked as a research consultant for nutritional supplement companies, assisted physicians and veterinarians in publishing research articles and textbooks, and written for a number of educational magazines and websites.

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