Declino delle popolazioni di avvoltoi Gyps a causa della tossicità del diclofenac : caso-studio e revisione della letteratura.

Starting from 1990, three species of vulture from the Gyps genus had to face a sharp decline in their numbers. The cause has been proven to be a toxic reaction to diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) commonly used on livestock in the Indian subcontinent, animals on which the vultures were feeding. In response to this crisis, the drug has been banned for veterinary purposes starting from 2006; however, in some areas, due to the persistent illegal sale, the already critical conditions of the species didn’t improve as much as expected. Given that vultures react poorly to many other NSAIDs, the identification of safe alternatives is a priority. Meloxicam is one of those that has been tested and proven to be safe.