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Organochlorine insecticide problems in livestock
M F Raisbeck1, J D Kendall, G E Rottinghaus
1Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Wyoming College of Agriculture, Laramie.
Summary
Managing organochlorine (OC) pesticide poisoning in animals requires symptomatic and supportive care. Activated charcoal is effective only if given immediately after exposure, and published kinetics should be used cautiously for residue prediction.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Toxicology
- Environmental Chemistry
- Animal Science
Background:
- Organochlorine (OC) pesticide intoxications pose significant challenges in veterinary medicine.
- Accurate prediction of residue decline and animal marketability post-exposure is crucial for economic and health reasons.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of various antidotal therapies and management strategies for acute organochlorine poisonings in animals.
- To assess the applicability of published pharmacokinetic data to real-world scenarios and provide guidance on residue level prediction.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on OC toxicology, pharmacokinetics, and treatment modalities.
- Analysis of factors influencing OC residue elimination rates, including dosage, exposure duration, and physiological variables.
- Evaluation of supportive care, activated charcoal administration, pharmaceutical interventions, mineral oil, and nutritional strategies.
Main Results:
- Antidotal therapy is primarily symptomatic and supportive, including sedatives for convulsions and activated charcoal for gut decontamination.
- Published OC kinetics require cautious application in field settings due to numerous unknown variables affecting elimination rates.
- Activated charcoal offers universal benefit only when administered immediately post-exposure; pharmaceutical modifiers have limited value, and mineral oil's impact on fecal excretion is often economically insignificant.
Conclusions:
- Effective management of acute OC intoxications relies on symptomatic treatment and immediate decontamination with activated charcoal.
- Predicting OC residue decline and animal marketability necessitates careful consideration of exposure specifics and frequent sampling, rather than over-reliance on literature values.
- While nutritional strategies are inexpensive, potential increases in tissue concentration during fat reduction and extended holding costs must be weighed against economic benefits.