Accidental and experimental salinomycin poisoning in rabbits

Abstract

Pesq. Vet. Bras. 29(9):695-699, setembro 2009 RESUMO.-[Intoxicações natural e experimental por salinomicina em coelhos.] Relata-se, pela primeira vez, um surto de intoxicação por salinomicina em coelhos. De 2000 animais, no mínimo 27 morreram após troca do coccidiostático sulfaquinoxalina pela salinomicina. A aná-lise de parte da ração detectou 26,9ppm de salinomicina. Os sinais clínicos observados foram anorexia, apatia e lentidão com evolução para incoordenação dos movimentos e decúbito. As lesões macroscópicas consistiram de áreas pálidas na musculatura esquelética. O exame histopatológico evidenciou miopatia degenerativo-necrótica. Adicionalmente, verificou-se reação inflamatória constituída por neutrófilos e macrófagos. Um coelho apresentou lesões similares no miocárdio. Em alguns casos, mineralização estava presente nos músculos esqueléti-cos afetados. Vinte coelhos experimentais foram divididos em 5 grupos que receberam 10, 25, 50, 75 e 100ppm de salinomicina por via oral, com a finalidade de reproduzir a intoxicação. Os animais que receberam a partir de 50ppm de salinomicina apresentaram sinais clínicos semelhantes aos observados no surto espontâneo. Nossos resultados indicam que, provavelmente, erro na mistura da substância à ração causou a morte dos coelhos.TERMOS DE INDEXAÇÃO: Salinomicina, intoxicação, miopatia tóxica, coelhos. INTRODUCTIONSalinomycin, an antibiotic of the ionophore group, is used to control coccidiosis and also to promote weight gain in poultry, rabbits, cattle and swine (Novilla 1992 An outbreak of salinomycin poisoning in rabbits is described. At least 27 out of 2,000 rabbits reared on a farm died after the coccidiostatic drug sulfaquinoxaline was substituted by salinomycin in the feed. An average of 26.9ppm salinomycin was detected in the ration given to the rabbits. Clinical signs included anorexia, apathy and bradykinesia, which progressed to incoordination and recumbency. Gross lesions consisted of pale areas in the skeletal muscles. The histopathological findings showed severe necrotic degenerative myopathy in association with infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages. One rabbit exhibited similar alterations in the myocardium. Mineralization was observed in the affected skeletal muscles in some cases. In order to verify if the poisoning was due to salinomycin, 20 rabbits were divided into five groups and a ration containing the drug at doses of 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100ppm was given. The administration of doses higher than 50ppm resulted in manifestation of the clinical signs seen in the outbreak of poisoning. It was concluded, that probably an error related to the mixture of salinomycin in the feed was the cause of deaths in the spontaneous outbreak of poisoning on the rabbit farm.

Salinomycin intoxication in pigs associated with the use of tiamulin in the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil

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Salinomycin as a potent anticancer stem cell agent: State of the art and future directions

“…122 At a normal feeding dosage, salinomycin does not cause noticeable abnormalities in animals. Whereas, accidental overdose and mixed overfeed of salinomycin have been reported to cause death in adult turkeys, 123 horses, 124 dairy calves, 125 , 126 pigs, 127 sheep, 128 rabbits, 129 cats, 130 and so on. For example, 60 mg/kg body weight (BW) salinomycin feed for chickens is safe and does not raise significant adverse effects while 120 mg/kg BW salinomycin may affect the immune system of the chicks.…”

Coccidiostats in treating coccidiosis

“…According to numerous research studies, the intoxication usually occurred as soon as the safe doses of medicines administered were exceeded, e.g. salinomycin poisoning in turkeys [32] or in rabbits [30], or monensin poisoning in broiler chickens [8]. Dogs [38] and horses can be poisoned by coccidiostats after an accidental exposure to them [27].…”