October 17, 2007

Soy may have caused Indiana cattle deaths

A dozen beef cattle that died at a southern Indiana farm had eaten excessive amounts of soy, causing a fatal reaction, a veterinary pathologist said.

Eleven cows and an Angus bull died this month in Clark County about 25 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky.

Purdue University officials say the cows were stricken with rumen acidosis, which occurs when grains ferment in the rumen, the first chamber of a four-chamber bovine stomach. The fermentation causes a sudden change in acid levels that damages the lining and allows acid to get into the bloodstream, said Duane Murphy, co-director of the Heeke Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.

The lab at the Southern Indiana-Purdue Agricultural Centre near Jasper did tests on one of the animals and released preliminary findings Monday. Additional samples were sent to another testing site, so a final report may not be completed for several weeks.