Intoxication of goats by Plumbago scandens in Northeastern Brazil

In the State of Paraiba, Northeastern Brazil, goat mortality occurred with the ingestion of Plumbago scandens. The fresh plant was then given experime ntally to 4 goats at 5, 10, 17.5 or 25 g/kg bw. Depression, anorexia, saliv ation with foamy saliva, bellowing, bruxism, humpbacked posture, bloat, rum inal atony, continuous lateral head movements, tachycardia, dyspnea and dar k brown to black urine were observed in the goats given 17.5 or 25 g/kg bw. The goats receiving 5 or 10 g/kg bw had less severe signs. The goat dosed with 25 g/kg bw died after 18-20 h. All others recovered in 3-9 d. At necro psy of the high dose goat, the main lesions were dark violet to black disco loration of the mucosa of the tongue, esophagus, reticulum and ventral sac of the rumen, and gelatinous edema in the visceral ruminal peritoneum. Hist ologically the reticulum and ventral rumen sac had diffuse epithelial necro sis and severe edema and neutrophilic infiltration of the submucosa. Separa tion of the ruminal epithelium from the submucosa was observed. Epithelial degeneration and necrosis was also seen in the omasum, esophagus and tongue . Reproduction of the disease with clinical signs similar to those observed by the farmer in the spontaneously affected goats suggests that the clinic al mortality was caused by ingestion of Plumbago scandens.