Plants and mushrooms associated with animal poisoning incidents in South Africa
Background There is extensive literature on animal poisoning from plants and mushrooms worldwide; however, there is limited account of poisoning from South Africa.Methods This study sought to describe and provide an overview of animal poison exposures in South Africa. Poisoning episodes reported to...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2020-12-01
|
| Series: | Veterinary Record Open |
| Online Access: | https://vetrecordopen.bmj.com/content/7/1/e000402.full |
| _version_ | 1818663255683366912 |
|---|---|
| author | Moleseng Claude Moshobane Alessia Bertero Carine Marks Cindy Stephen Natasha Palesa Mothapo Lorraine Middleton Francesca Caloni |
| author_facet | Moleseng Claude Moshobane Alessia Bertero Carine Marks Cindy Stephen Natasha Palesa Mothapo Lorraine Middleton Francesca Caloni |
| author_sort | Moleseng Claude Moshobane |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background There is extensive literature on animal poisoning from plants and mushrooms worldwide; however, there is limited account of poisoning from South Africa.Methods This study sought to describe and provide an overview of animal poison exposures in South Africa. Poisoning episodes reported to the Poisons Information Helpline of the Western Cape, jointly run by the Poisons Information Centres at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and Tygerberg Hospital over a period of approximately 2.5 years, from June 2015 to November 2017, were analysed to identify exposure patterns, severity and clinical outcomes.Results Alien plant species accounted for most cases (n=10) of reported poison exposures. Among the 26 recorded animal poisoning episodes, the dog was the most commonly implicated species (n=24), whereas just two enquiries were related to other animals (one rabbit and one cow) . There were 20 plant cases and 6 mushroom cases (all dogs). There was only one fatal case involving cycad in a dog.Conclusion Features of animal poisoning in South Africa were similar to those in other countries. The reported cases of animals exposed to poisonous plants and mushrooms could represent only a fraction of the actual exposures. Since most reported cases involved taxa that could not be identified to species level, more attention should be paid in case reporting and in animal poisoning prevention, engaging the public to enable people to recognise potentially hazardous plants and reduce the risk of poisoning in animals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T05:13:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-99259e2f58264ac8a385f146e74832e8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2052-6113 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T05:13:57Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Veterinary Record Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-99259e2f58264ac8a385f146e74832e82022-12-21T22:02:10ZengWileyVeterinary Record Open2052-61132020-12-017110.1136/vetreco-2020-000402Plants and mushrooms associated with animal poisoning incidents in South AfricaMoleseng Claude Moshobane0Alessia Bertero1Carine Marks2Cindy Stephen3Natasha Palesa Mothapo4Lorraine Middleton5Francesca Caloni6Department of Biological Invasions, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, Gauteng, South AfricaDepartment of Environmental Science and Policy (ESP), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, ItalyTygerberg Poisons Information Centre, Division Clinical Pharmacology, Stellenbosch University – Tygerberg Campus, Cape Town, Western Cape, South AfricaPoisons Information Centre, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Observatory, Western Cape, South AfricaDivision for Research and Development, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South AfricaDepartment of Biology, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, Gauteng, South AfricaUniversità degli Studi di Milano, Milan, ItalyBackground There is extensive literature on animal poisoning from plants and mushrooms worldwide; however, there is limited account of poisoning from South Africa.Methods This study sought to describe and provide an overview of animal poison exposures in South Africa. Poisoning episodes reported to the Poisons Information Helpline of the Western Cape, jointly run by the Poisons Information Centres at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and Tygerberg Hospital over a period of approximately 2.5 years, from June 2015 to November 2017, were analysed to identify exposure patterns, severity and clinical outcomes.Results Alien plant species accounted for most cases (n=10) of reported poison exposures. Among the 26 recorded animal poisoning episodes, the dog was the most commonly implicated species (n=24), whereas just two enquiries were related to other animals (one rabbit and one cow) . There were 20 plant cases and 6 mushroom cases (all dogs). There was only one fatal case involving cycad in a dog.Conclusion Features of animal poisoning in South Africa were similar to those in other countries. The reported cases of animals exposed to poisonous plants and mushrooms could represent only a fraction of the actual exposures. Since most reported cases involved taxa that could not be identified to species level, more attention should be paid in case reporting and in animal poisoning prevention, engaging the public to enable people to recognise potentially hazardous plants and reduce the risk of poisoning in animals.https://vetrecordopen.bmj.com/content/7/1/e000402.full |
| spellingShingle | Moleseng Claude Moshobane Alessia Bertero Carine Marks Cindy Stephen Natasha Palesa Mothapo Lorraine Middleton Francesca Caloni Plants and mushrooms associated with animal poisoning incidents in South Africa Veterinary Record Open |
| title | Plants and mushrooms associated with animal poisoning incidents in South Africa |
| title_full | Plants and mushrooms associated with animal poisoning incidents in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Plants and mushrooms associated with animal poisoning incidents in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Plants and mushrooms associated with animal poisoning incidents in South Africa |
| title_short | Plants and mushrooms associated with animal poisoning incidents in South Africa |
| title_sort | plants and mushrooms associated with animal poisoning incidents in south africa |
| url | https://vetrecordopen.bmj.com/content/7/1/e000402.full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT molesengclaudemoshobane plantsandmushroomsassociatedwithanimalpoisoningincidentsinsouthafrica AT alessiabertero plantsandmushroomsassociatedwithanimalpoisoningincidentsinsouthafrica AT carinemarks plantsandmushroomsassociatedwithanimalpoisoningincidentsinsouthafrica AT cindystephen plantsandmushroomsassociatedwithanimalpoisoningincidentsinsouthafrica AT natashapalesamothapo plantsandmushroomsassociatedwithanimalpoisoningincidentsinsouthafrica AT lorrainemiddleton plantsandmushroomsassociatedwithanimalpoisoningincidentsinsouthafrica AT francescacaloni plantsandmushroomsassociatedwithanimalpoisoningincidentsinsouthafrica |