Industrial copper intoxication in sheep: Clinical and pathological findings

Experiments were carried out to investigate the clinical symptoms and patho logical and histological findings resulting from industrial copper intoxica tion in improved Vallachian sheep (five-year-old females) that had been rea red for five years in the deposition area of a copper-producing plant. The sheep were randomly allocated to two groups. Group A (n = 5) received 2.5 g of industrial emission daily by a stomach tube and group B (n = 5) receive d besides the 2.5 g of emission dose also 400 mg of ammonium molybdate and 800 mg sodium sulphate daily until day 24 of the experiment. The daily inta ke of Cu per sheep from 2.5 g of industrial emission was 429.00 mg; Zn 124. 34; Fe 976.60; Mo 0.104; Se 0.031; As 0.303; Cd 0.005; Pb 0.016 mg. The tox ic phase of industrial copper intoxication developed in two sheep of the gr oup B and in one of the group A. They died on days 36, 37 and 38, respectiv ely. The accumulation phase persisted in the remaining sheep without any pr onounced differences up to the end of the experiment. It was manifested by occasional diarrhoea, inappetence, apathy, loss of wool and poor nutritiona l stare. The administration of ammonium molybdate and sodium sulphate faile d to affect the sheep in the group B in comparison with those in the group A regarding post mortem and histological findings in the organs examined. T he dominant pathological findings in the dead and slaughtered sheep include d poor nutritional state, icterus of varying intensity in the skin and the subcutaneous connective tissue, dystrophic changes in the liver, splenomega ly, haemosiderosis in the kidneys, rumenitis and pulmonary emphysema. Histo logical examination revealed mainly steatosis, necrosis and apoptosis of th e hepatocytes. In the kidneys, tubular nephrosis was found. Interstitial pn eumonia with mononuclear infiltrate was observed and the liver and spleen e xhibited distinct haemosiderosis. Pathological lesions were more severe in those animals of both experimental groups which died of industrial copper i ntoxication.