Malaria kills vultures

Apart from the anti-inflammatory, analgesic drug Diclofenac, malaria is a major cause for the death of vultures, reveals research conducted by veterinarian Ajay Poharkar, a livestock development officer with Maharashtra’s Department of Animal Husbandry, as reported in The Indian Express (IE) on May 7, 2009.

Poharkar admits that prior to 2002 he knew nothing about vultures. He was prompted by a forest officer to conduct research on the scavenging birds, which he has since been doing in the backward district of Gadchiroli. After being ignored for years by experts, the scientist’s work has appeared as the cover story in the February 25 issue of Current Science, a reputed international science journal. Co-authors of the article are scientists from Hyderabad’s Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Anuradha Reddy and S. Shivaji along with three other veterinarian experts, Vilas Ghadge, Sunil Kolte and Nitin Kurkure of the Nagpur Veterinary College. The National Association for Welfare of Animals and Research, a voluntary body, helped with funds and other forms of support after Poharkar’s studies showed malaria to be a cause for vulture deaths, IE elaborates.

The widely accepted vulture extinction theory by British scientist Lindsay Oak that originated in Pakistan holds Diclofenac responsible for endangering the species. Poharkar states, "I always thought the Diclofenac theory was inadequate. One vulture requires at least 500 grams of meat per day. In that, there would be a very little trace of Diclofenac. Also, how could we apply findings in Pakistan to all areas without verifying?” The fact that Gadchiroli farmers are too poor to use Diclofenac on a significant scale added to Poharkar’s apprehensions, IE reports. In fact, at the village of Nimgaon, Poharkar has set up what he calls a "vulture restaurant — an enclosure where dead animals are thrown to attract vultures.”

In October 2004 the scientist found malarial parasites in the blood smear sample of a dead vulture in a test conducted at Nagpur’s veterinary college. Subsequently, he discovered that 40 of the 60 vulture deaths in Gadchi­roli had been caused by malaria, a fact confirmed by the CCMB and Bom­bay’s veterinary college. Moreover, sam­ples sent for Diclofenac examination came back negative, IE reveals.

Adding to the complications, symptoms for malaria are similar to those caused by Diclofenac — shivering, ruffled feathers, respiratory distress, circling movement of head, greenish watery diarrhea, paralysis and anemia. A major similarity is that of visceral gout, mentions IE. Poharkar’s findings were confirmed when he successfully treated an afflicted bird with a chloroquin-primaquin combination, drugs used for treating malaria. "I am not saying vultures in Pakistan didn’t die of Diclofenac. What I am saying is malaria is the cause at least where I am working,” the scientist explained to IE. In Gadchiroli, where he had initially registered 200 vultures, there are only 14 left today.