Jalihal Smriti, Rana Shweta, Sharma Shailja
Department of Physical and Natural Sciences, FLAME University, Pune, 412115 India.
Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Jodhpur, Jodhpur, 342005 India.
Environ Sustain (Singap). 2022;5(2):135-143. doi: 10.1007/s42398-022-00224-x. Epub 2022 Apr 12.
Vultures are of immense ecological significance to forest and urban ecosystems. These birds play a major role in curbing environmental contamination through scavenging on carcasses. Prevention of spread of diseases is pivotal for public health and is an inexorable economic burden for any country. We present the crucial role vultures can play in disease mitigation and public health by regulating or decreasing the spread of zoonotic diseases. We elaborate examples from three zoonotic diseases; rabies, brucellosis and tuberculosis, which spread among dogs and cattle as well as human population. We establish the viable links in the transmission of these diseases from the infected dead and alive animals to humans and their possible exacerbation in the absence of vultures. These indirect links help formulate the case for increased interventions for disease spread and control along with conservation of these scavengers. Their role as natural and effective cleaners of the environment in the Indian health discourse is of importance because they can reduce the expenses of the government in waste management and maintenance of public health.
秃鹫对森林和城市生态系统具有巨大的生态意义。这些鸟类通过啄食尸体在遏制环境污染方面发挥着重要作用。预防疾病传播对公众健康至关重要，也是任何国家不可避免的经济负担。我们阐述了秃鹫在调节或减少人畜共患疾病传播从而减轻疾病和促进公众健康方面可以发挥的关键作用。我们详细列举了三种人畜共患疾病的例子，即狂犬病、布鲁氏菌病和结核病，它们在狗、牛以及人类群体中传播。我们确立了这些疾病从受感染的死亡和活体动物传播给人类的可行联系，以及在没有秃鹫的情况下它们可能加剧的情况。这些间接联系有助于说明加强疾病传播干预和控制以及保护这些食腐动物的理由。它们在印度卫生领域作为自然且有效的环境清洁者的作用很重要，因为它们可以减少政府在废物管理和维护公众健康方面的开支。
