Spanish Study Shows Vultures that Consume Carcasses of Livestock Treated with Antibiotics Have Compromised Health

[mixin]

Eating carcasses of livestock treated with antibiotics is wreaking havoc on the health of Spanish vultures, a new study carried out in Spain suggests. The researchers say that the practice of feeding vultures livestock carrion--although promoted by bird lovers--may actually threaten the species and should be ended.

Several studies in people and animals have hinted that overuse of antibiotics can suppress the immune system, and the researchers hypothesized that this happens in vultures as well.

Both the cellular and humoral immune systems of the central Spain vultures were suppressed, they found. Lab studies are needed to confirm that antibiotics cause the immune suppression...

Full article: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_17344.cfm

Proceedings of The Royal Society
Cellular and humoral immunodepression in vultures feeding upon medicated livestock carrion
http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2009/03/16/rspb.2009.0071.full

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Spanish Study Shows Vultures that Consume Carcasses of Livestock Treated with Antibiotics Have Compromised Health

Given that some pet food contains beef, I wonder if that holds true for them also.

This seems to point to the similarities between the immune systems of mammals and birds.

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[mixin]

Re: Spanish Study Shows Vultures that Consume Carcasses of Livestock Treated with Antibiotics Have Compromised Health

We sure have a lot of pets (and humans) with allergies and immune system problems; that's partly why this article caught my attention.

I watch the warning letters section at the FDA site and, all too often, the cattle farmers receive warning letters regarding the finding of unacceptable levels of drugs in the animal tissue of those intended for human consumption.

That makes me wonder how many people are buying beef from smaller producers thinking its safer?

 

[mixin]

Re: Spanish Study Shows Vultures that Consume Carcasses of Livestock Treated with Antibiotics Have Compromised Health

That makes me wonder how many people are buying beef from smaller producers thinking its safer?

That may be an unfair comment on my part. I said that because I know a lot of local small producers do a lot of self-medicating their cows. It's possible that large producers are just as likely to bend the rules as small producers.