A krimpsiekte-like syndrome in small stock poisoned by Ornithogalum toxicarium Archer & Archer

Krimpsiekte (the syndrome associated with chronic cardiac glycoside poisoni ng) was purportedly induced by Ornithogalum toxicarium in the Karas mountai ns area of Keetmanshoop, Namibia. This chinkerinchee species was previously linked to a condition known as 'kwylbek' krimpsiekte in small stock in the Beaufort West district of the Western Cape Province, South Africa. In a do sing trial, respiratory distress, tachycardia and sternal recumbency were o bserved in 2 sheep drenched with fresh plant material. A fluorescence polar isation immunoassay (FPIA) detected the presence of a substance that cross- reacted with digoxin antibodies in some of the plant material collected at Keetmanshoop and Beaufort West. This is the first time that apparent cardia c glycoside poisoning was induced by a southern African chinkerinchee speci es. The presence of the cardiac glycoside-like substance in O. toxicarium r equires further chemical verification.