Botulism in Ruminant Nutrition

Abstract

Botulism is a fatal zoonotic disease caused by neurotoxins secreted by Clostridium botulinum, a spore-forming gram-positive anaerobic bacterium. In ruminant animal feeding, infection occurs primarily through contaminated feed, while environmental sources such as soil, water, and manure also play an important role in transmission pathways. C. botulinum neurotoxins block acetylcholine release at the neuromuscular junction, leading to progressive muscle paralysis and a clinical presentation characterized by high mortality rates. This situation leads to irreparable economic losses and severe declines in production capacity in the global livestock sector. Due to the limited efficacy of treatment options for the disease and their adverse effect on prognosis, prophylactic approaches aimed at eliminating infection sources have strategic priority in control strategies. Silage, dry feeds, animal-derived feed additives, and manure contamination used in ruminant feeding are identified as the main risk factors. Particularly in silage production processes, insufficient anaerobic fermentation, failure to achieve optimal pH range, and improper storage conditions create favorable microenvironments of critical importance for the germination of C. botulinum spores and toxin production. This review study aims to systematically and holistically evaluate etiological factors, molecular pathogenesis mechanisms, epidemiological transmission routes, and evidence-based control strategies of botulism infection in ruminant animal feeding. Considering the ongoing economic losses and public health risks in the livestock industry in Turkey and worldwide, there is an urgent need for multidisciplinary research on botulism pathogenesis, diagnostic methods, and prevention strategies, and this review is expected to provide a conceptual foundation and applied perspective to such scientific studies.