Health hazards of barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) in Rizal Avenue, Digos City
Keywords:
zoonotics, barn swallow, health hazards, PhilippinesAbstract
Birds are susceptible to many bacterial diseases common to humans and domestic animals (Broman, 2002). Barn swallow collections, precisely the fecal matter, have been a disease-causing agent. This study aims to identify the barn swallow assemblages that serve as indicators of disease occurrence in Rizal Avenue, Digos City. Particularly, the birds' status in terms of morphometric measurements and estimated population were assessed. The bacteria found in barn swallow fecal matter and their possible health hazard were also identified in the study. This research employed a descriptive design in determining the status and possible bacteria present in fecal matter. A sample of 77 Barn Swallows was caught using mark-recapture in four identified areas. Morphometric measurements like bill length, bill depth, tarsus length, wing length, tail length, and body weight were obtained. Fecal matter was also collected and sent to Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, which provided the results for identifying the bacteria present through an API 20E kit. A description of the identified morphometric measures revealed that the barn swallows of Digos City conform to the measurement done by Samuel (1971). Comparing the morphometric measurement between male and female barn swallows shows no significant difference in their bill length, bill depth, tarsus length, wing length, and body weight. However, there is a significant difference in tail length at 0.05 level of significance wherein males (6.18) have longer tailed than females (5.1) which confirms the methods used by Smith (2008) in identifying the sex of barn swallows. Furthermore, there were 8 bacteria identified using the API 20E kit, which was all gram-negative, and most of them are rod-type bacteria.
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Copyright (c) 2017 Garnette Mae Balacy, Frence Mae Babatuan, John Carlo Gonzales, Rodel Sienes
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