CROTALARIA JUNCEA INTOXICATION IN HORSES

Twenty horses died 30 d after being fed a diet containing 40% of tritu red Crotalaria Juncea seeds. Before death, they had staggering, dyspne a and fever. At necropsy the most evident lesions were areas of lung p arenchyma consolidation and enlarged and congested livers. Histopathol ogical examination revealed diffuse fibrosing alveolitis with hyaline membranes, suggesting a blood-borne insult, and passive congestion In the liver with compression of the hepatocyte trabecules. To confirm th e diagnosis, guinea pigs were given 60% of a commercial diet + 40% tri tured C juncea seeds. After 4 mo of feeding the animals died with dysp nea. Their lungs had diffuse fibrosing alveolitis with discrete format ion of hyaline membranes and the livers were congested. Reproduction o f the lesions implicated the plant and supported the diagnosis of C ju ncea intoxication in the horses.