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Volume 14
Issue 4
10.3390/toxics14040294
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Case Report

Fatal Intoxication of European Yew (Taxus baccata L.) in Two Donkeys in North-Eastern Italy: A Case Report

by
Luca Spadotto
1,
Silva Rubini
2,
Laura Cornara
3,
Federica Betuzzi
3,
Mariarosaria Ingegneri
4,
Antonella Smeriglio
4,
Domenico Trombetta
4,
Cinzia Centelleghe
1,* and
Sandro Mazzariol
1
1
Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA), University of Padova, Viale Dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, PD, Italy
2
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Lombardia e Dell’Emilia-Romagna (IZSLER), Via Modena 483, 44044 Cassana, FE, Italy
3
Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genova, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genova, GE, Italy
4
Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences (CHIBIOFARAM), University of Messina, Via Ferdinando Stagno D’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, ME, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Toxics 2026, 14(4), 294; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14040294
Submission received: 25 February 2026 / Revised: 23 March 2026 / Accepted: 27 March 2026 / Published: 28 March 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives in Veterinary Toxicology and One Health)
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Abstract

Poisoning caused by Taxus baccata is a well-known cause of sudden death in domestic animals due to the cardiotoxic effects of taxine alkaloids. This study describes two cases of fatal intoxication in donkeys (Equus africanus asinus) and demonstrates a multidisciplinary diagnostic approach combining pathology, botanical identification, and toxicology. Two animals were found dead without prior clinical signs on a farm in north-eastern Italy. Necropsies were performed, and samples were collected for further investigations. Histopathological findings were limited and non-specific, consistent with the hyperacute course typical of yew poisoning. Fragments of plant material resembling yew needles and twigs were identified in the gastric contents. Toxicological analysis using liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry confirmed the presence of taxane alkaloids, supporting the diagnosis of yew poisoning. These data highlight the importance of integrating necropsy results with botanical examination and targeted toxicological analyses in cases of suspected plant poisoning. This multidisciplinary approach provides a reliable diagnostic framework for confirming yew poisoning in veterinary investigations.
Keywords: plant poisoning; herbivorous mammals; diagnostic pathology; botanical identification; LC-ESI-MS; taxane alkaloids; cardiotoxicity; gastric content plant poisoning; herbivorous mammals; diagnostic pathology; botanical identification; LC-ESI-MS; taxane alkaloids; cardiotoxicity; gastric content
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MDPI and ACS Style

Spadotto, L.; Rubini, S.; Cornara, L.; Betuzzi, F.; Ingegneri, M.; Smeriglio, A.; Trombetta, D.; Centelleghe, C.; Mazzariol, S. Fatal Intoxication of European Yew (Taxus baccata L.) in Two Donkeys in North-Eastern Italy: A Case Report. Toxics 2026, 14, 294. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14040294

AMA Style

Spadotto L, Rubini S, Cornara L, Betuzzi F, Ingegneri M, Smeriglio A, Trombetta D, Centelleghe C, Mazzariol S. Fatal Intoxication of European Yew (Taxus baccata L.) in Two Donkeys in North-Eastern Italy: A Case Report. Toxics. 2026; 14(4):294. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14040294

Chicago/Turabian Style

Spadotto, Luca, Silva Rubini, Laura Cornara, Federica Betuzzi, Mariarosaria Ingegneri, Antonella Smeriglio, Domenico Trombetta, Cinzia Centelleghe, and Sandro Mazzariol. 2026. "Fatal Intoxication of European Yew (Taxus baccata L.) in Two Donkeys in North-Eastern Italy: A Case Report" Toxics 14, no. 4: 294. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14040294

APA Style

Spadotto, L., Rubini, S., Cornara, L., Betuzzi, F., Ingegneri, M., Smeriglio, A., Trombetta, D., Centelleghe, C., & Mazzariol, S. (2026). Fatal Intoxication of European Yew (Taxus baccata L.) in Two Donkeys in North-Eastern Italy: A Case Report. Toxics, 14(4), 294. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14040294

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