Veterinary Research Communications, 23 (1999) 457^465

# 1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands

Some Observations on Endemic Fluorosis in Domestic

Animals in Southern Rajasthan (India)
S.L. Choubisa
P.G. Department of Zoology, S.B.P. Government College, M.L. Sukhadia University,
Dungarpur, Rajasthan, India
*Correspondence: 4-G.A.D. Quarters, New Hospital Road, Dungarpur 314 001, India

Choubisa, S.L., 1999. Some observations on endemic £uorosis in domestic animals in Southern Rajasthan
(India). Veterinary Research Communications, 23(7), 457^465

ABSTRACT

Chronic £uoride toxicity in the form of osteo-dental £uorosis was observed in cattle, bu¡aloes, sheep
and goats from 21 villages of Banswara, Dungarpur and Udaipur districts of Southern Rajasthan
where the mean £uoride concentration in drinking water varied from 1.5 to 4.0 ppm. The prevalence of
dental £uorosis in calves (51 year age) was greater than that in adult cattle and bu¡aloes. At a £uoride
concentration in the water of 4.0 ppm, 100% of calves, 65.6% of bu¡aloes and 61.0% of cattle were
found to be a¡ected with dental £uorosis to varying degrees. In the older group of bu¡aloes, their teeth
were brownish black instead of creamy yellow as found in calves and cattle. Out of 780 goats and 564
sheep, none revealed evidence of osteo-dental £uorosis. The overall prevalence of skeletal £uorosis was
8.5%, with the highest prevalence of 29.0% in cattle and 37.5% in bu¡aloes at a £uoride concentration
of 3.2 ppm. None of the calves were a¡ected with skeletal £uorosis. Intermittent lameness was observed
in the older group of animals (47 years age) at 2.8 ppm £uoride or more in the water. None of the
£uorotic animals exhibited any apparent evidence of hypothyroidism, stunted growth or low milk
production. There was no correlation between gender and the prevalence of £uorosis, but the
prevalence and severity of skeletal £uorosis increased with increasing £uoride concentration and age.
Possible factors causing variation in £uorosis in the cattle and bu¡aloes in villages with identical
£uoride concentrations are discussed.

Keywords: bu¡aloes, cattle, £uoride, goats, osteo-dental £uorosis, sheep, teeth, water

INTRODUCTION

Chronic £uoride intoxication, or £uorosis, is a worldwide health problem and is

endemic in those areas where the £uoride content is high in drinking waters. Its
primary manifestations in humans and mammals are mottling of teeth and osteo-
sclerosis of the skeleton. In India, £uorosis is endemic in more than 15 states (Susheela,
1993). In Rajasthan, more than 50% of the districts have high £uoride (F) levels (0.1^
18.0 ppm) in their drinking waters (Gupta et al., 1993). In Southern Rajasthan, levels
of 0.3^10.8 ppm F have been reported (Choubisa et al., 1995, 1996a). Apart from a few
studies in humans (Thergaonkar and Bhargava, 1974; Mathur et al., 1976; Choubisa et
al., 1997) and in a few cattle and bu¡aloes (Choubisa et al., 1996b,c; Choubisa, 1997),
no detailed investigations on endemic £uorosis in domesticated animals have been
conducted in Rajasthan. In other states of India, except for the reports by Swarup and
Singh (1989) and Singh and colleagues (1995), no epidemiological data are available on

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£uorosis in domestic animals. Thyroid dysfunction, stunted growth and low milk
production have been reported in £uorotic animals (Hillman et al., 1979; Suttie, 1980)
but this is disputed. The present investigation was undertaken to determine the
prevalence and severity of £uorosis in native breeds of animals at concentrations of
1.5^4.0 ppm. The prevalence of thyroidism (goitre), stunted growth and low milk
production was also studied in £uorotic animals.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study involved 21 villages in Banswara, Dungarpur and Udaipur districts of

Southern Rajasthan (see Table I), where the population is mainly tribal and the
domestic animals are cattle, bu¡aloes, sheep and goats. Sources of drinking water are
hand pumps, wells and seasonal ponds in the villages of Dungarpur district, whereas
perennial ponds, large reservoirs (lakes and dams) and canals are found in Banswara
and Udaipur districts. The mean F concentrations in the drinking water from these
villages, estimated spectrophotometrically using an alizarin method (Saxena, 1987),
varied from 1.5 to 4.0 ppm against the maximum permissible limit of 1.5 ppm;
however, pH, total hardness and alkalinity were below the permissible limits. The
concentration of £uoride was relatively high in the water from hand pumps and wells
in Dungarpur (Choubisa, 1996).
To derive estimates of the prevalence of £uorosis in cattle, bu¡aloes, sheep and
goats, house-to-house surveys were made in the early morning and late evening when
the animals are generally available, and in herds in ¢elds in the day-time. Only native
livestock that had been in the areas from birth were considered. For dental £uorosis,
the teeth of immature and mature animals were carefully examined; for skeletal
£uorosis (osteo£uorosis), stunted growth, low milk production, poor bodily condition,
lameness, reluctance to move or sti¡ness, skeletal deformities, bony exostoses, muscle
wasting, a snapping sound from the feet during walking, intermittent diarrhoea and
emaciation were looked for (Udall, 1954; Shupe, 1980). No radiological studies were
undertaken. Fluorotic animals were also examined by palpation for evidence of
generalized swelling of the thyroid gland. Similar observations were also made on
normal animals in non-£uoridated areas.
Fluoride concentrations in urine or blood plasma and T3/T4 in serum were not
estimated in the £uorotic animals in the present study. Data on £uorosis were based on
clinical ¢ndings only.

RESULTS

Dental £uorosis

Of the 286 calves (51 year age), 1675 adult cattle and 290 adult bu¡aloes of either sex,
197 (68.8%), 648 (38.6%) and 125 (43.1%), respectively, were a¡ected with varying
degrees of enamel mottling (Figure 1). The prevalence of dental £uorosis in animals at