Feed toxin paralyzes and kills racing horses in Jamaica - antibiotic growth stimulator intended for chickens suspected

[Emily]

The company is called "Hi-Pro" and seems to be a Jamaica company, but there is a feed company active in the U.S. with the same name.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130514/sports/sports2.html

29 horses with clinical signs of illness after eating a particular brand of feed mixed with oats. 11 subsequently died. Death toll was expected to increase:

Mystery illness leaves eight horses dead at Caymanas Park
Published: Tuesday | May 14, 2013

http://www.cvmtv.com/story.php?id=1094&type=sportsnews

Hi?pro issues release concerning the feed affecting horses
2013-05-16
Two weeks after CVM sports broke the news that horses were being severely affected after consuming feed from one of the island?s leading manufacturers, hi?pro has finally issued a release on the matter. Oral Buchanan has more. On Thursday horse feed manufactures, Hi?Pro, confirmed to CVM sports in an exclusive interview that based on the initial investigation undertaken at its Mill there was contamination of horse feed produced on the dates in question. In a release late on Thursday, Hi?Pro stated that ?as soon as the company received reports of the incidents, it took immediate steps to withdraw and isolate the horse feed produced on April 24, and May 6.? But how could the contamination have occurred? The release furthered stated that ?the ingredient, while beneficial to other livestock, is detrimental to horses.? But President and Chief Executive Officer Christopher Levy, would not name a specific toxin...

This company was in the news a couple of years ago and the article has some information on components of the international pet food market:

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20110904/business/business1.html

 

[Emily]

Re: Feed toxin paralyzes and kills racing horses in Jamaica - little more details released

Re: Feed toxin paralyzes and kills racing horses in Jamaica - little more details released

The latest article indicates that 12 horses have now died and the contaminant is still unknown - testing will take over a week. (The first Jamaica Gleaner article in the last post said that a lab in Canada is involved in at least some of the testing.)
Since the second Jamaica Gleaner article posted above says that most grains are imported into Jamaica, this could be a more widespread problem.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130517/sports/sports91.html

Hi-Pro, CTL express concern, sympathies over illnesses, deaths
Published: Friday | May 17, 2013

 

[Emily]

Re: Feed toxin paralyzes and kills racing horses in Jamaica - little more details released

Re: Feed toxin paralyzes and kills racing horses in Jamaica - little more details released

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/It-s-Monensin-Toxicosis_14259591

Vets ID source of horse deaths, illnesses at Caymanas Park

It's Monensin Toxicosis!

BY IAN BURNETT Sport Editor
Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/It-s-Monensin-Toxicosis_14259591#ixzz2UAjLnV9Q

Monensin is an ionophore is used in animal feed as an anti-parasite medication, but it's extremely toxic to horses at approximately 2.0 mg per kg body weight. Hi-Pro is partnered with a Kentucky company that does their formulations, but it sounds like the food is made in Jamaica, so most likely the contamination is not wider spread than that, but the mechanism of the contamination is still unexplained and Hi-pro has been making horse feed for 40 years without a problem like this, according to the cvmtv video linked to above.

Screen capture:

 

[Emily]

Re: Feed toxin paralyzes and kills racing horses in Jamaica - little more details released

Re: Feed toxin paralyzes and kills racing horses in Jamaica - little more details released

About 6 minutes into the video at the article link below, there is graphic footage of the extreme suffering endured by the most recently poisoned horse. The veterinarian interviewed suspects there was a mix-up between medicated chicken feed and horse feed.

http://www.cvmtv.com/story.php?id=1214&type=sportsnews

Number of horses dead resulting from poisoned feed likely to increase
2013-06-03
The death toll of horses impacted by the Narasin contaminated stable choice with oats from hi-pro is likely to increase, after another horse fell ill in its stable on Saturday. But of even greater concern to the veternary division at the park is the alarming level of the toxin found, in the feed samples. After almost 2 weeks without a reported case. An unnamed 2 year old from the barn of trainer Alfred Wright, exhibited similar clinic signs, to the 30 horses previously diagnosed with Narasin Toxicosis - of which 13 subsequently died...

Narasin is the main component of a polyether antibiotic complex produced by Streptomyces auriofaciens NRRL 5758 & NRRL 8092. Ionophoric antibiotic which inhibits coccidial infection in poultry and mammals. Coccidiostat; growth stimulant.