Suspected veterinary poisoning cases: A retrospective toxicoepidemiology study (2009-2019) in south-eastern Italy

Abstract

The Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale of Puglia and Basilicata (IZSPB) processed toxicoepidemiological data on suspected veterinary intentional poisoning cases (small, farm and wild animals) in South-Eastern Italy. Suspected poisoned animals (SPAs) and supposed poisoning baits (SPBs) were collected between 2009 and 2019 by public health authorities, veterinary practitioners and owners and were analyzed for the presence of rodenticide (non-anticoagulant rodenticides and coumarin derivatives), molluschicide, herbicides, pesticide and other molecules (ethylene glycol and metals). Among SPAs analyzed, small animals were prominent (76.2%). In totally, 23.7% animals (408/1719) and 47.3% baits (224/474) were found positive. Small animals were positive in 26.0% of cases (341/1310) and the molecule more involved was metaldehyde, a molluschicide. Only 11.4% (16/123) farm animals were found positive prevalently for rodenticide and pesticide. Though wild ones 18.5% (53/286) were positive mainly for pesticide. In South-Eastern Italy, there are still limited, and fragmented data published on the topic, although this type of information is crucial in an attempt to reduce this illegal practice. rodenticides molluschicide, pesticide.