Organochlorine insecticide poisoning in Golden Langurs Trachypithecus geei
D.C. Pathak
Department of Pathology, College of
Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Khanapara,Guwahati, Assam 781022, India
Email: dcp55@sify.com
Date of
publication (online): 26 July 2011
Date of
publication (print): 26 July 2011
ISSN 0974-7907
(online) | 0974-7893 (print)
Editor: Ulrike Streicher
Manuscript details:
Ms # o2412
Received 24 February
2010
Final received
21 April 2011
Finally
accepted 27 April 2011
Citation: Pathak, D.C.
(2011). Organochlorine insecticide poisoning in Golden Langurs Trachypithecus geei. Journal of Threatened Taxa3(7): 1959–1960.
Copyright: © D.C. Pathak 2011. Creative Commons Attribution
3.0 Unported License. JoTTallows unrestricted use of this article in any medium for non-profit purposes,
reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and
the source of publication.
Acknowledgements:The author is thankful to Dr. Prabhat Basumatary (ex veterinary officer) and Dr. Panjit Basumatary (veterinary
officer) WTI, Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam
for providing the specimen, clinical samples and necessary information, and the
Head, Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Science, Khanapara for providing necessary facilities for conducting
histopathology and clinical pathology.
The Golden Langur Trachypithecus geei, an old
world monkey, is found on the Indian subcontinent mainly in the foothills of
the Himalaya, along the Assam-Bhutan border inhabiting mainly areas with high
trees. The species is classified as endangered (IUCN 2011). The herbivorous animal’s diet consists of
ripe and unripe fruit, mature and young leaves, seeds, buds and flowers. In one area of KokrajharDistrict of Assam the animals have also adapted to feeding on dry rubber seeds
(Medhi et al. 2004). Srivastava (2006) found in a
census a total of 943 individuals of Golden Langur in
96 groups in Assam. This
population had also adapted to feeding on dry rubber seeds (Medhiet al. 2004). ChakrashilaWildlife Sanctuary (CWS) is one of the 14 fragmented habitat pockets, where
Golden Langurs occur in Assam and is located in the
districts of Dhubri and Kokrajharcovering an area of 45.58km2. At present 474 Golden Langurs in 66 families
are present in CWS (Chetry et al. 2010).
In KokrajharDistrict there is a rubber plantation covering about 750 bighas(100ha approx.) of land bordering CWS on the north easternside. A strip of agricultural land
of about 100m wide separates the CWS from the rubber plantation. Golden Langursfrequently visit the plantation area in search of food. The present report is a
record of organochlorine insecticide poisoning in
three Golden Langurs in CWS.
Materials and Methods: The staff of CWS spotted an adult Golden Langur in moribund condition in the forest in the early
part of December 2008. It had
lacerations on the head and face as if it had fallen from the tree. The animal was emaciated and unable to
walk on its own. The veterinary
officer of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) entrusted to CWS, Assam, treated
the animal by dressing the wounds and injecting antibiotics, dexamethazones, DNS drip and vitamin B complex. But the
animal died two days later. Blood
and urine samples were collected for routine examination before the death of
the animal.
Within the month two adultother Golden Langur carcasses were recovered in the
same forest. All three carcasses
were thoroughly necropsied. Heart blood and tissue samples were collected aseptically
and sent for bacterial culture. Intestinal loops and pieces of liver and kidney in saturated salt
solution were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory, Guwahatifor identification of any toxic insecticides. Representative tissue samples
were preserved in 10% formol saline. Paraffin embedded tissue sections were
stained with routine haematoxylin and eosin staining
method for histopathology. Local
WTI personnel reported that the rubber plants were regularly sprayed with some
insecticides. The Golden Langurs were reported to eat the tender leaves of the
plants.
Results: On postmortem examination all three
animals were found to be dehydrated. No specific gross lesions were found in
the visceral organs, except congestion in the liver, kidneys and
intestine. The blood picture
showed lower levels of haemoglobin (7.2g%), packed
cell volume (29%) and total leucocyte count (5.15x103µl-1). Urinanalysisshowed moderate amounts of protein and bile pigment. Histopathiologically, there was
massive haemorrhage in the liver with necrosis of thehepatocytes, which was centrilobularto diffuse (Image 1). The kidneys
showed congestion in the intertubular spaces with
mild degeneration of the tubular epithelial cells. The mucosal epithelium of the small intestine was necrotic
and sloughed away. The lungs
showed capillary congestion and alveolar haemorrhages. In the cerebrum there was mild leptomeningitis with congestion and infiltration of
mononuclear cells in the piamater. Neuronal degeneration and neuronophagia were also evident in the cerebrum. The forensic science laboratory results
confirmed the case as organochlorine insecticide
poisoning, as all the tissues (liver and kidney) and intestinal contents of the
three animals were found positive for the insecticide.
Discussion: Organochlorine insecticide intoxication does not cause any
diagnostically useful lesions. Though hepatocellular degeneration and renaltubular degeneration had been occasionally reported with certain organochlorine intoxications, such lesions were more
frequently associated with prolonged exposure than acute poisoning (Peterson
& Talcott 2006). Jones et al. (1997) also described Nissl’sdegeneration, neuronal necrosis, centrilobularnecrosis of liver and enteritis in case of oral poisoning. In the present case the lesions along
with the general health of the animals suggested prolonged exposure to organochlorine insecticides by ingestion of contaminated
leaves of the rubber plants over a long period of time. This was later
confirmed by the findings of the forensic science laboratory. It is specifically interesting to
consider that the population observed by Medhi (2004)
in the same district did utilize rubber seeds as food soucewithout shoiwng any health problems. A
comparison of organochlorine insecticide levels in
different plant parts could bring more information.
REFERENCES
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