Abstract
An outbreak of lupine alkaloid neurotoxicosis and death occurred in sheep grazed on rangeland areas of the Nevada Great Basin during the summer of 2023. Overall, 97 sheep died despite veterinary supportive care. Lupinus argenteus var. utahensis was implicated as the causative plant with high levels of lupanine (11.5 µg/mg) and spartiene (13.7 µg/mg) in collected and archived samples. Previous reports of sheep deaths due to lupine ingestion have not been recorded in this region. An increased abundance of the number plants producing seed pods having a high alkaloid content may have been associated with abnormally elevated levels of precipitation in the months leading to the event.
Recommended Citation
Weigler, Benjamin J.; Mandeville, Walter F. III; Huber, Scott; McCuin, Gary; Caragena, Fabrizio; Cook, Daniel D.; Lee, Stephen T.; and Pritsos, Chris A.
(2024)
"Toxicosis from Range Lupine Ingestion in a Research Herd of Rafter 7 Merino Sheep,"
Poisonous Plant Research (PPR): Vol. 7, p. 10-14.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26077/1a49-f0ef
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/poisonousplantresearch/vol7/iss1/2
Included in
Agriculture Commons, Plant Sciences Commons, Sheep and Goat Science Commons, Toxicology Commons