Outbreak of Type C Botulism in Birds and Mammals in the Emilia Romagna Region, Northern Italy

• DOI: 10.7589/2013-03-072
• Publication Date: 2013-10-07T18:11:01Z
• Authors: Francesco Defilippo; Andrea Luppi; Giulia Maioli; Dario Marzi; Maria Cristina Fo...; Federica Paoli; Paolo Bonilauri; Michele Dottori; Giuseppe Merialdi
• Keywords: Botulism; Anas; Clostridium botulinum

Over a 7-day period beginning 8 August 2011, large number of wild birds several species were found dead or with neurologic clinical signs along the shore Crostolo stream, in Emilia Romagna region, Italy. Twenty-eight Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), two Hooded Crows (Corvus corone cornix), and three coypus (Myocastor coypus) moribund on stream bank, collected, sent to Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna, Reggio Section. The cause mortality was determined be Clostridium botulinum type C toxin. toxin identified by mouse bioassay for toxins confirmed bird sera blowfly larvae (Lucilia caesar) collected from stomachs birds.