HEPATOGENOUS PHOTOSENSITIZATION IN FALLOW DEER (DAMA-DAMA) IN NEW-ZEALAND

An outbreak of hepatogenous photosensitisation occurred in fallow deer and was diagnosed as facial eczema on the basis of liver lesions and plasma enzyme changes over 56 weeks. Clinical signs of photosensitisat ion were not as obvious as they are in sheep and cattle. The condition occurred over autumn and in the following spring. Six of 23 deer died or were destroyed. Concentrations of plasma total bilirubin, total bi le acids and cholesterol increased, as well as the activities of aspar tate transaminase, glutamic dehydrogenase, lactic dehydrogenase, alkal ine phosphatase and gamma glutamyltransferase. Albumin:globulin ratios declined due to moderate increases in globulin and minor reductions i n albumin. Many of the plasma enzyme activities did not return to norm al after autumn and increased to even higher values during the spring outbreak of photosensitisation. Minor plasma biochemical changes were also detected in non-photosensitive deer in the same herd.