Newborn foal with atypical myopathy

Abstract

The case of atypical myopathy (AM) in newborn Haflinger foal with clinical signs of depression and weakness appearing 6 hours after birth resulting in recumbency 12 hours after birth is described. The foal's dam was diagnosed with AM in the 6th month of gestation based on clinical signs of a myopathy, elevated serum activity of creatine kinase, metabolomic analysis and the presence of methylenecyclopropyl acetyl carnitine (MCPA‐carnitine) in the blood. At the time of delivery, the mare was grazing on a pasture near sycamore trees but was free of clinical signs of AM. Metabolomic analysis of the foal's blood revealed increased concentrations of acylcarnitines and MCPA‐carnitine consistent with metabolic profiles of blood from AM affected horses. Two theories could explain this observation (a) hypoglycin A or its metabolites accumulated in the mare's placenta with consequent transfer to fetus or (b) these compounds were secreted into mare's milk.

Hypoglycin A absorption in sheep without concurrent clinical or biochemical evidence of disease

“…However, direct ingestion of seedlings by lambs cannot be ruled out, though we believe it is unlikely as these animals were under 2 weeks of age. Potential milk excretion of HGA and/or its metabolite as the cause of AM in a neonatal foal has been suggested 53 . Because of the increasing evidence of this excretion route, toxicity of HGA via ingestion of ruminant milk should be considered a possible risk for human health and warrants further research.…”

Methylenecyclopropylglycine and hypoglycin A intoxication in three Pére David's Deers (Elaphurus davidianus) with atypical myopathy

“…HGA and MCPrG were detected in some rumen and faeces extracts, and MCPrG was also detected in the liver of the affected milus. Two links to the food chain should be briefly addressed here: (a) there is a question of whether the consumption of offal, such as the liver or kidneys, but also meat and other products from affected wild or domestic ruminants by humans is safe, and this remains unclear at the moment; (b) a possible transfer of HGA into milk or at least a diaplacentar transfer was shown in a lactating mare affected by AM, and subsequent intake by the foal led to intoxication and sudden death within a few hours after birth (Karlíková et al., 2018). Therefore, intoxication may also occur, or at least cannot be excluded, from products of lactating animals used for human consumption.…”

Grazing Mares on Pasture with Sycamore Maples: A Potential Threat to Suckling Foals and Food Safety through Milk Contamination

“…Literature mentions several cases of AM among gravid mares and in unweaned foals [ 2 ]. In 2018, Karlíková et al reported a newborn foal with signs of AM [ 16 ]. This case-report describes a foal born at full term from a mare which recovered from AM during the sixth month of pregnancy.…”