• Known as "salt poisoning".
  • Occurs sporadically in the U.K. as a group or herd problem in intensive systems.
  • Mainly affects pigs and poultry.
  • Caused by:
    • Accidental ingestion of excess salt
      • Either by dietary contamination, or error.
    • Deprivation of water on relatively high salt diets.
      • This is the more likely scenario.
  • Salt poisioning may be
    • Peracute/ acute
    • Subacute/ chronic

Peracute / acute

  • Peracute cases are often found dead.
    • Only shock haemorrhages are seen at autopsy.
  • Acute cases present as abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting.
    • Death occurs in 24 - 48 hours.
    • At autosy, may see:
      • Shock haemorrhages.
      • Gut congestion.
      • Fluid accumulations in body cavities.

Subacute / chronic

  • These cases show nervous signs.
    • Convulsions
    • Blindness
    • Ataxia
  • Show excessive salivation.
  • May be polyuric.
  • Fluid may accumulate subcutaneouslt and in the abdomen.
  • Macroscopic findings are inconclusive.

Diagnosis

  • For definitave diagnosis, histological examination is required.
  • On histological examination, the following may be seen:
    • Perineuronal vasculation and cerebral neuronal necrosis.
      • Polio-encephalomalacia.
    • Eosinophilic meningoencephalitis.
    • Perivascular oedema in the brain.