Synonyms

No known synonym

Name of the disease in English

Enzootic hematuria; Bracken fern chronic poisoning

The disease in brief

This is a long-term poisoning in adults who have consumed small amounts of Pteridium aquilinum (or Cheilanthes) fern per day for several years. These ferns contain Ptaquiloside which causes the formation of hemangioma in the bladder; these hemangiomas lead to chronic hematuria; Ptaquiloside is also toxic to the bone marrow causing acute eagle fern poisoning which is purpura; finally the fern contains thiaminase.

This is the 4th cause of cattle calls to the CNITV with 4.5% of calls.

Clinic & diagnosis

In an adult bovine, 4 years old or older, pink or even red urine (during the entire urination or at the end), without fever, barely affecting the habitus of the patient at the start will lead to suspicion of the disease in regions where this fern is omnipresent.

Typical sign of the disease

No description

Pictures

See below

Diagnostic formulas

No description

Differential diagnosis

-Pyelonephritis UR13

-Chronic Cystitis UR12

-Hematuria: other causes TX9.1

Confirm a suspicion?

No description

Prognosis and treatment

The long-term prognosis is unfavorable. Traditional treatment consisted of irrigating the bladder with 40 per thousand cresyl, which prepared for its reformation.

Prevention

Keep cattle away from bracken areas.

References

Jouve C. (2009) Contribution to the development of a website on plant toxicology in ruminants: Monographs of the main plants incriminated according to data from CNITV-Th. Med .Vet. Claude Bernard-Lyon University1 271p