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Mathesh K, Manickam K, Mallord JW, Mahendran K, Kumar M A, Saikia D, Mohan S C, V B, Lakshmi P S, Prakash N, Shringarpure R, Pawde AM, Green RE, Naidoo V, Prakash V. Experimental safety testing confirms that the NSAID nimesulide is toxic to Gyps vultures in India. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 2023; 103:104284. [PMID: 37775075 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2023.104284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Population declines of Gyps vultures throughout South Asia were caused by unintentional poisoning by the NSAID diclofenac, which was subsequently banned. However, other vulture-toxic NSAIDs are available, including nimesulide, which, in experiments carried out in South Africa, was shown to be toxic to Gyps vultures. We report on safety-testing of nimesulide carried out on Himalayan Griffons G. himalayensis. We gave two vultures a dose of nimesulide by oral gavage at the maximum level of exposure, with two controls dosed with benzyl alcohol. In the two tested birds, plasma nimesulide concentrations peaked after six hours, while serum uric acid concentrations increased steadily up until 24 h post-treatment, after which both birds died, displaying severe visceral gout. The control birds showed no adverse clinical or biochemical signs. We confirm that nimesulide is toxic to Gyps vultures. Veterinary use of nimesulide should be banned in all Gyps vulture range countries in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karikalan Mathesh
- Centre for Wildlife, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh 243122, India
| | - Kesavan Manickam
- Centre for Wildlife, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh 243122, India
| | - John W Mallord
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK.
| | - K Mahendran
- Centre for Wildlife, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh 243122, India
| | - Asok Kumar M
- Centre for Wildlife, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh 243122, India
| | - Debasish Saikia
- Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill House, Mumbai 400023, India
| | - Chandra Mohan S
- Centre for Wildlife, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh 243122, India
| | - Beena V
- Regulatory Toxicology, CSIR - Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, 226 001, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sree Lakshmi P
- Centre for Wildlife, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh 243122, India
| | - Nikita Prakash
- Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill House, Mumbai 400023, India
| | | | - Abhijit M Pawde
- Centre for Wildlife, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh 243122, India
| | - Rhys E Green
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK; Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Vinny Naidoo
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Gauteng 0110, South Africa
| | - Vibhu Prakash
- Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill House, Mumbai 400023, India
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