Primary photosensitization in cattle caused by Froelichia humboldtiana

Three outbreaks of primary photosensitization caused by Froelichia humboldtiana are reported in the semiarid region of the states of Pernambuco and Paraíba, in northeastern Brazil. The disease occurred from March to June 2011, affecting 27 bovines out of a total of 70. The main lesions consisted of dermatitis of the white skin, with edema and necrosis. All the bovines recovered after removal from the areas invaded by F. humboldtiana. To produce the disease experimentally, one bovine with white skin was placed for 14 days into an area with F. humboldtiana as the sole forage. This bovine presented photodermatitis on the third day of consumption. The serum concentrations of total, indirect, and conjugated bilirubin and the serum activities of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and aspartate-aminotransferase (AST) in the spontaneously affected cattle and in the experimental cattle remained within normal ranges. It is concluded that F. humboldtiana causes primary photosensitization in cattle in northeastern Brazil.