A Case of Dallisgrass Staggers in Oklahoma

Dallisgrass is a warm-season, perennial forage found in pastures across the southeastern United States. Seed heads of dallisgrass are susceptible to ergot infection resulting in production of several tremorgenic indole-diterpene alkaloids such as paspalinine, paspalitrem A, and paspalitrem B. Herein, we report a clinical case of “dallisgrass staggers” in Oklahoma beef cows resulting in 31% morbidity and 5% mortality. Clinical signs were first observed within 36 hours of exposure to a new pasture, and included shaking, whole body tremors, staggering, swaying and wobbling when walking, falling down, and hyperexcitability. Tremorgenic indole diterpene alkaloids were detected from ergotized seed heads collected from the pasture.