The digestive tract of the whiteback griffon vulture and its role in disease transmission among wild ungulates.
The digestive tract of the whiteback vulture (Gyps africanus) is described. Some disease organisms were fed to a captive bird to discover if they could survive passage through the tract, and the role of these scavenging birds in the spread of diseases among wild ungulates is discussed.
D000818:Animals; D001188:Artiodactyla; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001715:Bird Diseases; D001717:Birds / Q000382:microbiology*; D002432:Cecum / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002590:Cestode Infections / Q000662:veterinary; D002988:Cloaca / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D003426:Crop, Avian / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D004063:Digestion; D004064:Digestive System / Q000382:microbiology; D004068:Digestive System Physiological Phenomena; D004199:Disease Vectors; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004947:Esophagus / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005895:Gizzard, Avian / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007420:Intestine, Large / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000662:veterinary; D011531:Proventriculus / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012007:Rectum / Q000382:microbiology; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013997:Time Factors