A possible role of crows in the spread of diarrhoeal diseases in Aden.
The Indian House Crow (Corvus splendens) has increased dramatically in number in Aden. These birds pollute the environment by dropping their faecal material all over the city. They may accordingly be related to important public health problems. The present work aimed at investigating the possibility that they play a role in the spread of diarrheal diseases. One hundred and fifty crows were collected and their liver, intestine and cloaca examined bacteriologically for Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrionaceas as well as for parasites. Different members of Enterobacteriaceae including Salmonella, and Shigella serotypes and Proteus strains as well as members of Vibrionaceae and Pseudomonads were isolated from a great proportion of crows. Some of them were found identical to the strains previously isolated from patients suffering from diarrhea in Aden. Giardia lamblia cysts and Hymenolepis nana ova were also recovered from crows. It was concluded that crows may participate in the spread of diarrheal diseases in Aden.
al-Sallami
S
S
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana'a, Yemen Arab Republic.
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000382:microbiology*; D003625:Data Collection; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology*; D004199:Disease Vectors; D015006:Yemen