This paper reports an outbreak of Chamaecrista serpens var. serpens poisoning in Mangalarga Marchador horses, Pega donkeys, Nelore cattle, and Mambrina goats. The disease occurred in the municipality of Iaçu, in the semi-arid region of the state of Bahia, 15-30 days after the start of the rainy season, coinciding with the regrowth of the plant. The prevalence of the poisoning was 100% in donkeys and horses, 11.9% in cattle, and 38.8% in goats. Clinical signs were characterized by itching, edema, and crust formation, predominantly in areas of non-pigmented skin or with less hair coverage and in regions of light-colored skin and hair. Animals of different species sought shade; a characteristic particularly noticeable in horses. Two horses died, possibly as a result of the severity of the lesions. The plant's high availability and palatability contributed to the high prevalence of poisoning. Affected animals recovered 21-28 days after being removed from the areas invaded by the plant and placed in areas with available shade. The results indicate that different species of production animals are susceptible to C. serpens var. serpens poisoning, that C. serpens var. serpens causes significant economic damage to livestock farming in the region, and that it is necessary to develop appropriate technologies to control this invasive plant.
Silveira et al. (Sat,) studied this question.