Botulism is an intoxication caused by the ingestion of toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum. It affects mammals and birds, and is characterized by flaccid paralysis of the limbs. This report describes an outbreak of botulism in turkeys of various ages in the city of Santa Luzia, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The animals showed incoordination followed by flaccid paralysis involving the muscles of the legs, wings and neck. Within 24 hours, all 29 (100%) turkeys died. The post-mortem examination revealed the presence of fly larvae in the crop and the C. botulinum type C toxin was demonstrated in the sera of two affected animals by serum neutralization test.
botulism type C; Clostridium botulinum; turkey; birds