Post-mortem report details kidney, spleen damage in crows

Post-mortem examinations conducted on crow carcasses collected from parts of Chennai have revealed nephritis and splenomegaly as the primary morphological findings, according to a report from the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS).

The findings emerge from necropsies carried out at the Central University Laboratory, Centre for Animal Health Studies, and Madhavaram Milk Colony on seven adult crows. The carcasses were collected following reports of unexplained crow deaths in areas such as Indira Nagar and surrounding localities.

Nephritis is inflammation of the kidneys, while splenomegaly refers to the abnormal enlargement of the spleen, often indicating infection, inflammation, or immune system stress.

According to the post-mortem report, blood smear examinations conducted after death showed no organisms of etiological significance, indicating the absence of detectable bacterial pathogens in the samples tested. Of the seven birds examined, five were female and two male, with two carcasses already in a decomposed state at the time of examination.

The report notes that residents had observed symptoms such as stargazing, stiff neck, head turning, paralysis of the legs, immobility and death within 24 to 36 hours. The birds reportedly became grounded before succumbing.

A GCC official said that samples would be sent to the Southern Regional Diagnostic Laboratory, Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals, Bengaluru.

Officials said further analysis and correlation with toxicological and disease-screening results would be necessary before arriving at a conclusion on the cause of the deaths. Sources from TANUVAS, however, said that poisoning had been ruled out based on the examinations conducted so far.