India's Vulture Decline Linked To Human Deaths

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24 July 2024

A recent study links India's vulture population decline to half a million premature human deaths


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The ecological impact of losing vultures highlights the crucial balance between biodiversity and public health


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Published in the American Economic Review, the study estimates annual public health damage at $70 billion


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Vultures play a vital role in India's ecosystems, controlling disease by consuming carcasses


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Their absence increases populations of scavengers like feral dogs, leading to more rabies transmission


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Farmers dispose of dead livestock in waterways without vultures, further spreading diseases


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The vulture decline began in 1994 due to diclofenac, a drug toxic to these birds


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This caused vulture numbers in India to plummet from 50 million to a few thousand


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Experts observed the environmental consequences in India, with cattle carcasses piling up near tanneries 


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Researchers mapped vulture habitats and analysed health records to study the impact on human health


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