Botulism Exam 2

Question 1

What is botulism the cousin of?

Answer 1

tetanus

Question 2

What is botulism caused by?

Answer 2

the exotoxin of Clostridium botulinum

Question 3

What is botulism characterized by?

Answer 3

flaccid paralysis (limpness)

Question 4

What is the most potent toxin known?

Answer 4

the botulism toxin

Question 5

Is botulism anaerobic or aerobic?

Answer 5

anaerobic

Question 6

Is botulism gram + or -

Answer 6

gram +

Question 7

The different types of botulism cause _______ _______ __________ but each need specific _______ _________

Answer 7

an identical disease; anti-toxins

Question 8

Is botulism contagious?

Answer 8

no

Question 9

How is botulism transferred to horses?

Answer 9

eaten from some food source

Question 10

Where is type C botulism mostly found?

Answer 10

mainly in FL

Question 11

What are the three types of botulism

Answer 11

A, B, and C

Question 12

Where is type A botulism mostly found?

Answer 12

western US

Question 13

Where is type B botulism mostly found?

Answer 13

Mid-Atlantic and KY

Question 14

Where does type B botulism come from?

Answer 14

-rotten feedstuffs (round bales exposed to elements) —flooded areas (water receding leads to bacteria being left behind)
-spoiled grass, hay, feed

Question 15

Where does type C botulism come from?

Answer 15

dead animal carcuses baled in hay (ex: dead rabbit in cutting hay)

Question 16

There is only a vaccine for which type of botulism?

Answer 16

type B

Question 17

What type of botulism is 80% of the cases?

Answer 17

type B

Question 18

Forage poisoning

Answer 18

ingestion of pre-formed toxins in contaminated feed

Question 19

Toxicoinfectious

Answer 19

ingestion of spores, and toxins are formed in the GI tract

Question 20

Can botulism also be contracted from a wound?

Answer 20

yes, a contaminated wound, castration, or naval

Question 21

What is the most common reason for cases of botulism in adult horses?

Answer 21

ingestion of decaying grass, hay, grain, and spoiled silage

Question 22

Shaker foal syndrome

Answer 22

• toxixoinfectious most common in foals
  -cannot stand to nurse (get up and then collapse)
  -cannot swallow milk

Question 23

Why do broodmares get vaccinated?

Answer 23

to prevent foal shaker syndrome in those foals

Question 24

What does the toxin bind to?

Answer 24

irreversibly binds to cholinergic nerve terminals

Question 25

How does the botulism toxin work?

Answer 25

-toxin prevents release of Acetylcholine in the neuromuscular junction
-muscles then cannot contract
-causes flaccid paralysis

Question 26

Clinical signs of botulism

Answer 26

-dysphagia
-flaccid paralysis
-decrease eyelid, tongue, and tail tone (droopy eyes/tongue/lips)
-sudden death
-muscle trembling in foals
-recumbency
-diminished GI motility
-death due to respiratory failure

Question 27

Dysphagia

Answer 27

-a symptom of botulism
-difficulty eating, the animal is hungry but can’t actually eat it

Question 28

When can onset of the disease happen after exposure?

Answer 28

12 hrs after exposure to toxin

Question 29

How is botulism definitively diagnosed?

Answer 29

-difficult to detect in feces, serum, or feed
-mouse inoculation or serum or feed/hay extract (wasp waist)

Question 30

How is botulism treated?

Answer 30

-anti-toxin administration ($2500)
-nursing care
-fluids, enema, urinary catheter
-respiratory assistance to foals (mechanical ventilation)

Question 31

What occurs during the recovery of botulism?

Answer 31

new nerve terminals are formulated which can take about 2 weeks

Question 32

When are horses vaccinated for botulism?

Answer 32

annually (especially in KY)

Question 33

How many initial doses of the vaccine are given before the annual vaccine begins?

Answer 33

three

Question 34

How many initial doses of the vaccine are given before the annual vaccine begins?

Answer 34

three

Question 35

How can botulism be avoided?

Answer 35

-avoid feeding round bales to horses
-avoid feeding silage/haylage to horses