Study could not find evidence to support theory that chronic botulism is causing emerging wasting disease in dairy cows that may have caused neurologi

[Emily]

Occurrence of Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin in chronic disease of dairy cows
Christian Seyboldt,Sabrina Discher,Eva Jordan,Heinrich Neubauer,Katharina Charlotte Jensen,Amely Campe,Lothar Kreienbrock,Theresa Scheu,Anika Wichern,Frieder Gundling,Phuong DoDuc,Svenja Fohler,Amir Abdulmawjood,G?nter Klein,Martina Hoedemaker Veterinary Microbiology
Volume 177, Issues 3?4, 12 June 2015, Pages 398?402
[h=2]Highlights[/h] ?A case-control study was conducted to test the hypothesis of visceral botulism. ?BoNT in the feces of affected animals is the main point of the hypothesis. ?Fecal samples of 1388 animals were tested for the presence of BoNT. ?BoNT was not detected in any of the fecal samples. ?The hypothesis of visceral botulism could not be proven.


...
In addition to foodborne botulism in domestic animals, another form of disease in cattle has been discussed controversially. An untypical form of botulism is supposed to be caused by the colonization of the lower intestine with C. botulinum bacteria, subsequent production of BoNT and continuous resorption of small amounts of toxins resulting in chronic wasting of the affected dairy herd involving a complex of unspecific clinical symptoms, reduced performance and massive animal losses ( Bohnel et al., 2001). The presumed trigger is a microbial imbalance in the digestive tract favoring the multiplication and toxin production of C. botulinum. It is assumed that this syndrome is multifactorial. This hypothesis has been proposed as ?visceral? form of botulism ( Bohnel et al., 2001). Especially, a significant number of dairy herds affected by chronic wasting condition in Northern Germany were suspected to suffer from ?visceral? botulism ( Bohnel and Gessler, 2012). Due to the unspecific clinical picture, a reasonable case definition based on clinical findings is still pending. ?Visceral? botulism was also discussed to be a sporadic, but severe zoonosis, when farmers or members of their families developed illness involving neurological syndromes (Dressler and Saberi, 2009)...

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378113515001169

 

[Emily]

I wonder if the research below is related.

http://www.omicsonline.org/open-acc...al-microbiota-2161-0525.1000256.php?aid=39228

Gerlach et al., J Environ Anal Toxicol 2014, 5:2
http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2161-0525.1000256
Oral Application of Charcoal and Humic Acids Influence Selected
Gastrointestinal Microbiota, Enzymes, Electrolytes, and Substrates in the
Blood of Dairy Cows Challenged with Glyphosate in GMO Feeds
Henning Gerlach1, Achim Gerlach2, Wieland Schr?dl1, Svent Haufe4, Bernd Schottdorf3, Awad A. Shehata1,5 and Monika Kr?ger1*
1Institute of Bacteriology and Mycology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 29, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
2Waldstra?e 78, D-25712 Burg, Germany
3Carbon Terra GmbH Gutermannstrasse 25, D-86154 Augsburg, Germany
4WH Pharmawerk Weinb?hla GmbH, Poststr. 58, D-01689 Weinbohla, Germany
5Avian and Rabbit Diseases Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sadat City University, Egypt

Abstract
The present study was initiated to investigate the influence of oral application of charcoal, sauerkraut juice and
humic acids on specific gastrointestinal microbiota and selected enzymes, electrolytes, and substrates in the blood of
dairy cows fed GMO feeds containing glyphosate. A total of 380 Schleswig Holstein cows suffering from symptoms of
chronic botulism were fed sequentially with 400 g/animal charcoal daily for 4 weeks (weeks 1-4 of the study), 200 g/
animal charcoal (weeks 5-10 of the study), 200 g charcoal and 500 ml Sauerkraut juice/animal (weeks 11-14 of the
study), 120 g/animal humic acids (weeks 15-18 of the study) 200 g charcoal and 100 mL Aquahumin/animal (weeks 19-
20 the of study), or 100 g charcoal and 50 mL Aquahumin (weeks 21-22 of the study) followed by 4 weeks without any
supplementation. There was a significant reduction of glyphosate in urine following supplementation with a combination
of 200g charcoal plus either 500 mL sauerkraut juice or humic acid. From all of the parameters investigated in blood
and urine, distinctive effects were only seen as a lack of manganese and cobalt and a significant reduction of creatinine
excretion by urine. All other measured parameters such as creatine kinase (CK), alkaline phosphatase (AP), glutamate
dehydrogenase (GLDH), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), and cholesterol, urea, and blood creatinine)
were not significantly changed. A significant increase of fecal Gram-negative bacteria and enterococci were only seen
at week 8 (200 g charcoal/d) and week 20 (200 g charcoal+100 mL Aquahumin). In conclusion, a charcoal-sauerkraut
juice combination and humic acids reduced glyphosate excretion by urine and led to the improved health of animals.