Guidelines for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of snakebite envenoming of ruminants in Brazil

Abstract

In Brazil, snakebites are often cited as a cause of mortality in ruminants, but there are discrepancies in the literature regarding its actual prevalence, either by lack of diagnosis or by mistakes in the differential diagnosis. Among the factors that hinder the diagnosis are included the inconsistencies to distinguish between accidents caused by Bothrops and Crotalus, responsible for over 90% of the cases. For the diagnosis of accidents involving Lachesis muta, both the neurotropic and the proteolytic/hemolytic effects must be considered, similar to what is described in Crotalus scutulatus. This article describes the main clinical, pathological, and laboratory findings observed in envenoming by the aforementioned snakes and suggests procedures for establishing the diagnosis and differential diagnosis starting from a logical sequence, based on epidemiological evidence, clinical, laboratory, and pathological findings.