Furazolidone-associated cardiomyopathy in two Indiana flocks of ducklings

Furazolidone (FZ)-induced congestive cardiomyopathy was diagnosed as the cause of high mortality and unthriftiness in two flocks of white pekin ducklings. Cumulative mortality at 7 weeks of age was 10.0-14.4%. Samples of FZ-supplemented feeds fed to flocks 1 and 2 from day 1 to day 14 had 140 and 150 mg FZ/kg, respectively. Both flocks had various degrees of water restriction. Clinically, the ducklings had dyspnea, incoordination, and abdominal distention. Necropsy findings included pulmonary edema and congestion, ascites, atrophic congested livers covered with sheets of fibrin, and cardiac enlargement with biventricular dilatation. Cardiac alterations were minimal by light microscopy. Ultrastructurally, scattered myocytes had myofibrillar lysis. These outbreaks occurred following intake of FZ at therapeutic dosages and emphasize the high susceptibility of young ducklings to FZ cardiotoxicity.