Bovine botulism outbreak associated with incidental consumption of presumably contaminated leftover food

Nine cattle among 18 in a native Korean herd died or were euthanized within 3 days. The affected cattle showed decreased appetite, salivation, flaccid paralysis, and recumbency. The cattle were raised with pigs and dogs in the same cowshed. The pigs and dogs had been fed leftover food originating from nearby restaurants, and the cattle could presumably reach the contaminated food in the pig troughs. Necropsy revealed a few chicken bones and red pepper pieces as well as large amounts of grain and rice straw hay mixed in the rumen. Botulism type D was isolated in the ruminal contents of one of the cattle. We speculated that the outbreak was associated with the cattle incidentally eating presumably contaminated leftover food from the pig trough.