Saudi Arabia - Mystery disease kills 300 sheep within an hour

[Pathfinder]

Mystery disease kills 300 sheep within an hour

By
Staff
Published Saturday, May 28, 2011

A Saudi farmer who went into his barn to take his 300 sheep on their daily pasturing was shocked when he found them all dead, a newspaper in the Gulf Kingdom said on Saturday.

The farm said he checked the sheep an hour earlier and they were all alive in their barn at his far in the western town of Qunfudha.

More...

http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/mystery-disease-kills-300-sheep-within-an-hour-2011-05-28-1.398248

[Emily]

Re: Mystery disease kills 1000 sheep in Saudi Arabia

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/f..._ID:1000,88667

Archive Number 20110530.1652
Published Date 30-MAY-2011
Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed deaths, ovine - Saudi Arabia: RFI

UNDIAGNOSED DEATHS, OVINE - SAUDI ARABIA: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
************************************************** ***************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

Date: Sat 28 May 2011
Source: Emirates 24/7 News [edited]
<http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/mystery-disease-kills-300-sheep-within-an-hour-2011-05-28-1.398248>


A Saudi farmer who went into his barn to take his 300 sheep on their
daily pasturing was shocked when he found them all dead, a newspaper
in the Gulf Kingdom said on Saturday [28 May 2011].

The farmer said he checked the sheep an hour earlier and they were
all alive in their barn at his farm in the western town of Qunfudha.

The unnamed farmer had owned the sheep for years and they were his
sole source of living for his family of 16.

"Inspectors at the ministry of agriculture said they had taken
samples from the dead sheep to determine the cause of their death,"
the Arabic language daily Sabq said.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[Ruminal acidosis is indeed a cause of frequent, rapid death in
animals. However, without adequate grain or another substance to cause
ruminal acidosis, it may not be as likely.

If the owner is feeding some type of forage, then both nitrates and
prussic acid (cyanide) come to mind as being able to rapidly kill
large numbers of animals. The forage can be tested for nitrates. If an
eyeball were taken and submitted chilled to a diagnostic lab, they may
be able to diagnose nitrate poisoning. Forage can also be tested for
cyanide, but it dissipates quickly. However, if the rumen contents are
taken quickly after death and submitted right away, then it is
possible to diagnose whether this is the case. Generally, the rumen
contents must be submitted in a timely fashion, with the sample being
chilled or submitted frozen.

Acidosis, nitrates, and prussic acid are the top of the toxins list
that could kill whole flocks in such a short period of time. - Mod.TG]

[300 sheep dying within one hour is most unusual. "Within an hour" is
in need of additional precision. It is to be reaffirmed how long, in
fact, were the sheep kept in the barn unattended (more common,
overnight) before the farmer 'went into his barn to take his 300 sheep
on their daily pasturing.'

Such an event is, most likely, due to a toxic or metabolic cause
rather than an infectious agent, though outbreaks of enterotoxaemia
(caused by clostridial toxins) and anthrax are known as potential
causes of mass, acute mortalities as well. Among other potential
causes of acute, wholesale mortality of an entire (housed) flock one
should include suffocation and 'acute ruminal lactic acidosis' (ARLA).
The latter is a metabolic condition in sheep caused by accidental
consumption of excessive amounts of readily fermentable carbohydrates
(such as, sudden free access to grain deposit, bread loaves, etc).
ARLA is known to cause, acutely, extremely high mortalities, partly
explained by the development of severe thiamine deficiency. Only
immediate medical intervention can reduce, to some extent, the
mortality which otherwise may reach very high proportions. ARLA is a
not-rare condition in Middle-Eastern countries, where sheep are not
allowed free grazing, are housed every night, and are dependent upon
by-feeding during certain periods of scarce pasture.

A veterinary and toxicological investigation is prescribed; results
will be appreciated. - Mod.AS]

[The HealthMap/ProMED-mail map of Saudi Arabia can be seen at
<http://healthmap.org/r/008R>. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

[see also:
2010
----
Undiagnosed deaths, ovine, caprine - Pakistan: (BA) RFI
20100403.1077
Undiagnosed deaths, ovine - Saudi Arabia, RFI 20100107.0066
2005
----
Undiagnosed deaths, sheep - Mongolia (Gobi): RFI 20050608.1595
2000
----
Undiagnosed ovine mortality - Australia (NSW) 20001122.2024]