Acute lead intoxication in cattle housed in an old battery factory

Six cows died 5 d after the owner put them in an old battery factory. The clinical symptoms were ataxia, blindness, rapid and difficult breathing, increased heart rate, tremors and coma. Necropsy was performed on 1 cow and pieces of metals were observed in the rumen. Serosal vessels of the rumen were hyperemic and slight fluid accumulation was observed in the abdominal cavity. Oedema was seen at the cerebrum. Severe necrosis and lipid accumulations were seen in the liver. All visceral organs were hyperemic. Zinc in the liver, kidney and lungs were 232, 103.5 and 97.3 ppm, respectively. Copper was 123.6 ppm in the liver 23.2 ppm in kidney and 11.8 ppm in lungs. The cadmium levels were normal, these were 66.7 ppm lead in liver, 80.5 ppm lead in kidneys and 35.8 ppm lead in lungs.