Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Diclofenac residues as the cause of vulture population decline in Pakistan.
- Journal:
- Nature
- Year:
- 2004
- Authors:
- Oaks, J Lindsay et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology · United States
Plain-English summary
The Oriental white-backed vulture, once very common in the Indian subcontinent, has seen its population drop by over 95% since the 1990s, particularly noted in Keoladeo National Park, India. This decline has also affected other vulture species and has led to these birds being classified as critically endangered. Research conducted in Pakistan between 2000 and 2003 found that many adult and young vultures were dying due to kidney failure and a related condition called visceral gout. The study linked these health issues to residues of the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac found in the vultures, which they ingested by eating livestock treated with the drug. The findings suggest that diclofenac is a major factor in the decline of the Oriental white-backed vulture population.
Abstract
The Oriental white-backed vulture (OWBV; Gyps bengalensis) was once one of the most common raptors in the Indian subcontinent. A population decline of >95%, starting in the 1990s, was first noted at Keoladeo National Park, India. Since then, catastrophic declines, also involving Gyps indicus and Gyps tenuirostris, have continued to be reported across the subcontinent. Consequently these vultures are now listed as critically endangered by BirdLife International. In 2000, the Peregrine Fund initiated its Asian Vulture Crisis Project with the Ornithological Society of Pakistan, establishing study sites at 16 OWBV colonies in the Kasur, Khanewal and Muzaffargarh-Layyah Districts of Pakistan to measure mortality at over 2,400 active nest sites. Between 2000 and 2003, high annual adult and subadult mortality (5-86%) and resulting population declines (34-95%) (ref. 5 and M.G., manuscript in preparation) were associated with renal failure and visceral gout. Here, we provide results that directly correlate residues of the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac with renal failure. Diclofenac residues and renal disease were reproduced experimentally in OWBVs by direct oral exposure and through feeding vultures diclofenac-treated livestock. We propose that residues of veterinary diclofenac are responsible for the OWBV decline.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14745453/