Animals (Oct 2023)

Polioencephalomalacia in Buffaloes in the Amazon Biome

  • José Diomedes Barbosa,
  • Fernanda Monik Silva Martins,
  • Carlos Eduardo da Silva Ferreira Filho,
  • Camila Cordeiro Barbosa,
  • Eliel Valentim Vieira,
  • Ruama Paixão de Lima Silva,
  • Cinthia Távora de Albuquerque Lopes,
  • Natália da Silva e Silva Silveira,
  • Carlos Magno Chaves Oliveira,
  • Marilene Farias Brito,
  • Felipe Masiero Salvarani

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13193131
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 19
p. 3131

Abstract

Read online

The epidemiological and clinical pathological aspects of polioencephalomalacia (PEM) in five buffaloes in the Amazon biome are described. Epidemiological data were obtained during the clinical visit in which buffalos were submitted to an examination of the nervous system. The diagnosis of PEM was based on epidemiological, clinical–pathological, and histopathological findings, similar to findings in other ruminants. In the clinical examination, all buffaloes had a body score between 2.5 and 3 (scale from 1 to 5), with decreased alertness, postural changes, marked hypermetria when stimulated to move, total or partial blindness demonstrated by colliding with the corral structures, head pressing and circumduction of the hindquarters when supported on the thoracic limbs, opisthotonos, muscle tremors, convulsions, paddling movements, sialorrhea, decrease in palpebral and pupillary reflexes, and eyeball rotation placing the pupillary slit in a vertical position. At necropsy, mild lesions characterized by edema and flattening of the cerebral convolutions were observed. A histopathological examination showed laminar necrosis of the cerebral cortex. The cause of PEM in the studied buffaloes was not established, which indicates the need for further studies to elucidate this disease in the species, particularly in the Amazon region.

Keywords