engleski

CASE REPORT: CARBOFURAN POISONING IN WILD ANIMALS

The deliberate poisoning of wild animals is a problem worldwide and a direct danger to the environment and humans. Poisons from the carbamate group are frequently used, although prohibited in the European Union due to their toxicity for mammals, birds, fish, and wild animals. Carbofuran belongs to the carbamate group and acts on the principle of reversible inhibition of acetylcholinesterase which causes hyperstimulation of cholinergic receptors, followed by muscarinic, nicotinic and central nervous signs. The death is usually a result of heart and respiratory failure. In the area of Mazin (Municipality of Gračac, Zadar County), 2 calves, wolf, fox, cow and golden eagle carcasses were found within a range of one hundred meters. Necropsy (N) and histopathological examination (HE) were performed ; likewise, toxicological analysis was done (TA) using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)method. Unknown foreign substance was found in the wolf's stomach, the trachea, and the fox's stomach. In fox, wolf, and golden eagle, N and HE revealed extensive multi-organ haemorrhages and congestion of parenchymal organs. In calves and the cow, multiple post-mortem injuries of the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and skeletal muscles were found, with the same content within the lesions. The unknown foreign substance in all carcasses was detected as carbofuran. The calves died without a suspicion of violent death. On the basis of the findings from the scene of the incident and N, the suspicion of poisoning had been assumed, which was confirmed by TA. The carcasses of the calves and cow were used as the source of the poison bait, which is still a usual method of deliberate wildlife poisoning of animals. The pathological findings in the fox, wolf, and golden eagle were non-specific but corresponded to the descriptions of carbofuran-induced pathological changes from the literature.

Poisoning ; Wild animals ; Carbmate ; Carbofuran

nije evidentirano