Introduction

During the Dashahara festival of the year 2010 about 3853 male goats intended to be supplied by Nepal Food Corporation to the customers in Kathmandu valley were being purchased from Eastern region, Central region, Mid-western region of Nepal. In lairage these goats were being fed occasionally with whole maize grains and exclusively green fodder leaves. On clinical examination based on history these goats were provisionally diagnosed with sudden illness suspected to be due to moldy corn/fodder poisoning. They were treated with Toxalivom Biolive, tetrachlor, polyte, C-lyte and Stresscare, Antidegnala liquor (Zinc salt solution) in drinking water.

Materials and Methods

Clinical examination of goats in lairage

From 2067-6-20 about 500  goats present in lairage for sale in Nepal Food Corporation’s compound, were clinically examination, were for symptoms   similar to those reported by Dr. White (2008) , Schneider ,et al (1985), Medd, et al, (2008) and  Whitlow et al (2008) about poisoning from pathogens in grain and fodder.

Post-Mortem Examination of dead goats

Post-Mortem examination of all the dead goats was done in the premises of the food corporation compound for pathological effects similar to those experimentally induced by Schneider (1985),and reported by Dhama et al,(2007),  Medd,et al, (2008)and Hussein ,et al, ( 2001).

Microbial/Mycobioal Culture examination of Post-Mortem Tissue samples

Mycological and microbiological examination was done on tissue samples from the dead goats cultures made on respective media for the growth of fungal pathogens like Penicillium spp with Staphylococci similar to the findings of Karki,et. al,(2008);Wendell(2008); Roberts et al, (2005) ;Sabreen,et al, (2001) .All nasal and rectal swabs  from  sick and dead animals were tested for PPR with penside test.

Treatment and preventive measures applied

All the goats present in lairage were treated with Toxalivom, Biolive, tetrachlor, polyte, C-lyte,Stresscare, Antidegnala liquor (Zinc salt solution) as described by  Pinto, et al,(2005) in Controlling Pithomycotoxicosis (facial eczema) in ruminants, in the Azores, Portugal in drinking water.

Results and Discussion

As during warm humid climate of tropics and subtropics favors growth of mold and fungus in feed grains and fodder especially after heavy monsoon rain feeding livestock and poultry exclusively on such grain  seems to cause the detrimental effect in the health to these animals. In this investigation there were clinical signs of anorexia, apathy, diarrhea and ruminal stasis and clinical pathological findings included mild focal erosions to severe, diffuse, coagulative necrosis of the mucosa in the rumen, reticulum and omasum and congestion and hemorrhages in the abomasum. The liver had shrunken appearance and pale to yellowish discoloration with a bile-filled distended bladder, pin point hemorrhage in kidney, and small intestine with excessive mucus.

On mycological and microbiological examination of tissue samples from post-mortem of dead goat on respective medium revealed the growth of fungal pathogens like Aspergillus and Penicillium spp with Staphylococcus spp. All nasal and rectal swabs from sick and dead animals that were subjected to the PPR with penside test turned out to be negative.

These results provide circumstantial evidence that feeding of moldy maize grain and green fodder leaves infested by Penicillium and Aspergillus spp may have caused this outbreak of a systemic Mycosis in these goats and therefore there need for thorough investigation in field areas  from where these goats were bought.

Acknowledgment

I would like to thank Mr. Bal Bahadur Kunwar, Mr. Tek Bahadur Air Senior Vet. Technician, Mr.Bhimsen Adhikari Vet. Technician of Microbioly Unit, Mr. Purna Maharajan Vet Technician of Central Veterinary Laboratory for doing the microbiology and post-mortem works, and office assistant Mr. Chandra Bahadur Rana, for his tireless efforts in handling the carcasses during post-mortem work .

References

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