‘Govt should devise SOP for vulture tissue collection’

AHMEDABAD: In a research published this April, “Nimesulide poisoning in white-rumped vulture Gyps bengalensis in Gujarat, India,” the authors found the anti-inflammatory drug nimesulide in the tissues of all the dead vulture from Gujarat they studied. The research was part of a project funded entirely by the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change.The collection of tissues of dead vultures sampled in the study were permitted by Gujarat forest department, and shared by Jivdaya Charitable Trust, Ahmedabad.
Besides suggesting a ban on use of nimesulide in veterinary treatment, the researchers have also recommended that the Gujarat government devise a standard methodology for collection of tissues of dead vultures for toxicological examination.

The research paper pointed out that between March and April 2020, there were at least two other incidents of deaths of white-rumped vultures in Assam and West Bengal.
While 13 vultures died after eating the carcass of a pig in Jalpaiguri district, in West Bengal, 19 vultures died in Sibsagar, Assam possibly due to poisoning However, tissue samples could not be collected for analysis.
The study found that residues of all the 32 most commonly used pesticides in the tissues from kidneys, livers and guts of the four white-rumped vultures collected from Sanand and Dhrangadhra were below detection limits.
It was confirmed that the vultures did not die due to any of the tested toxic pesticides. Subsequently, the tissues were analysed for fourteen drugs as listed in methodology. Of all the fourteen drugs analysed, only nimesulide was detected in all the tissues considered for the investigations.
Banned drug used widely
The research paper stated that despite the ban on diclofenac, it was reported to have accounted for 10–46% of all NSAIDs available in the Indian market for veterinary use. Studies revealed that in addition to diclofenac, other NSAIDs, namely, aceclofenac, ketoprofen, nimesulide, flunixin and carprofen are also toxic to Gyps vultures.
White-rumped vultures
White-rumped vultures are listed as a critically endangered species since the year 2000. Their population have drastically reduced due to the effects of diclofenac presence in animal carcasses. Diclofenac was banned for veterinary use in India from 2006, but the vulture population is yet to recover. White-rumped vultures are included under Schedule I of Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972
What is nimesulide
The paper stated that nimesulide is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Data from a case study on drug-induced liver injury of drugs, namely, nimesulide, ketoprofen, ibuprofen, diclofenac and paracetamol in Italy had revealed nimesulide to be associated with higher, and ibuprofen and ketoprofen with moderate risk of hepatotoxicity in humans. Because of the death of a six-year-old child due to nimesulide-induced concomitant hepatic and renal failure in India, controversy exists in the safety of the drug for humans.
In many countries, including the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, nimesulide is not permitted for human use due to its high risk of liver damage.
However, it is being widely used in India (banned for use in under-12 patients).