Botulism Kills Five Indiana Horses

Five horses in Reddington, Ind., are dead after contracting the botulism toxin from an “unknown food source.”
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Five horses in Reddington, Ind., are dead after contracting botulism, according to an alert from the International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID). The alert indicates the botulism toxin was ingested via an "unknown food source," likely the hay the horses consumed.

The ISID alert also noted that five additional horses residing at the same facility consumed the same hay as the deceased animals; those horses are currently being treated for botulism. The report indicates the sick horses received a botulism antitoxin and had not consumed as much potentially contaminated hay as the five animals that died. As of March 19, the report said, all were still alive.

It was not reported if any of the affected horses were vaccinated against botulism.

Botulism is a fatal neurologic disease of horses caused by toxins produced by the anaerobic, spore-forming, soil-dwelling bacterium Clostridium botulinum

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Erica Larson, former news editor for The Horse, holds a degree in journalism with an external specialty in equine science from Michigan State University in East Lansing. A Massachusetts native, she grew up in the saddle and has dabbled in a variety of disciplines including foxhunting, saddle seat, and mounted games. Currently, Erica competes in eventing with her OTTB, Dorado.

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