An outbreak of organochlorine (endosulfan) poisoning in cattle registered in April 2009 on a farm for calf rearing is reported. Cattle showed neurological symptoms one day after an accidental discharge of a crop duster releasing 700 liter of pesticide with a water-based solution of endosulfan and cypermethrin had occurred. The morbidity was 7.7% and the mortality 6.0%. The symptoms in the cattle were sialorrhea, ataxia, hypersensitivity, muscle twitching, pedaling, teeth grinding, excitability, convulsions, recumbency and death. At necropsy of the animals and histopathological examination non significant lesions were found. There was also a significant mortality of fish in the gorge of the affected paddock. Through gas chromatography the presence of endosulfan and/or its metabolite above references levels was identified in samples of fat, liver and rumen contents of affected animals, as well as in fish and water collected, what confirmed the organochlorine poisoning.
Pesticide; endosulfan; cattle; organochlorine poisoning
