Journal of Animal Health and Behavioural Science

Ethnoveterinary medicine is essential in many rural areas of the world since people living in remote and marginal areas depend significantly on traditional herbal therapies to treat their domestic animals. Communities residing in such remote areas, and especially those still attached to semi-pastoralist traditions, have considerable ethnoveterinary herbal knowledge, and they usually use this knowledge for treating their animals. This original study was carried out by using proper research questions to gather information about ethnoveterinary medicinal plants and traditional knowledge in treating different livestock ailments, following the proper ethnobotanical data collection and data analysis methods in a place where such a type of study had not been carried out. The objectives of this research were to collect, identify, document, and analyze ethnoveterinary medicinal plants and their associated indigenous knowledge and to determine the corresponding conservation status in the district. Data were collected from July 1 to August 30, 2019 and November 15 to December 30, 2019, as well as plants reported as medicine by informants. A total of 196 informants (24 key informants taken purposefully and 172 general informants taken randomly) were used for this study. Semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, and walk-in-the-woods methods were used to gather ethnoveterinary data. The Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) and Fidelity Level (FL) values were calculated using quantitative approaches in order to check the level of informants' agreement on plant use and the healing potential of ethnoveterinary medicinal plant species, respectively. Indigenous knowledge of the use of medicinal plants for ethnoveterinary purposes among different informant groups was compared using a t-test with R-software. A total of 46 plant species representing 43 genera and 29 botanical families were identified for use in the treatment of 79 different ailments. Medicinal plant species belonging to the families Asteraceae (5 species) and Euphorbiaceae (4 species) were reported to be in frequent use in the local ethnoveterinary medical system. Herbs and shrubs (12 species each) were the growth forms most often utilized for remedy preparation. The highest ICF values were recorded for respiratory system diseases (0.85) and Viscum congolense DC. Wild. showed the highest fidelity level value (97%) for treating respiratory system ailments. A significant difference (P 0.05) was observed in the average number of therapeutic plants reported by senior members of the community, illiterate participants, and key informants. Viscum congolense DC. Wild. and Clematis simensis Fresen were the most preferred species for treating respiratory system diseases. The study indicated that the district is rich in different species of ethnoveterinary medicinal plants and indigenous knowledge about using these resources. Species with the highest consensus for curative purposes are a useful puddle for further phytochemical and pharmacological authentication for better utilization. The declining wild medicinal flora of the area calls for prior conservation attention.

A Participatory epidemiological study was carried out to identify the most economically important trade-sensitive diseases which constrain trade and to quantify and rank the major diseases along the camel market chain originating from Afar pastoral community. A retrospective case-control study design was used to collect data on trade-sensitive disease problems in the market chains using epidemiological techniques of a semi-structured interview, disease ranking, and matrix scoring. Information was collected from producers, key informants, and participants in the Camel market chains. Purposive sampling was used to select a total of 153 producers, 29 traders, and 7exporters were interviewed with separate semi-structured questionnaires to collect information on the quality constraints of a traded camel along the export market chain. Adiatu, Aysaita, Awash 7, Elewha, Chifra, Gedamayetu, Endufo, and Logia and Adama-Mojoquarantine stations were selected purposely. The collected data was coded, managed, and validated in an excel spreadsheet. The level of agreement between informant groups was assessed using Kendal’s coefficient of concordance (W) calculated using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, 2007). The income sources of the Afara pastoralists were livestock (79.3%) and mixed (livestock and integrated) (20.7%). In the present survey majority of respondents (74.6%) used camels as a milking production system; social status (13.4%); source of income (9.3) and only 2.7% used for another social purpose. The most important diseases in Afar originated camels were camelpox (36.8%), trypanosomiasis (21.5%), pasteurellosis (12.8%), mange mites(9.4%), Anthrax (6.7%), ticks (5.2%), skin wound (4.3%), Capparis Tomentesa poisoning (1.9%), and lice (1.4%), are the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighteenth ranked respectively. The Afars’ camels are not preferred for export trade and local users because of their poor body condition and disease problems.

The study was carried out from January to December 2021 with the main objectives of to determine the prevalence of fasciolosis infections in cattle, slaughtered at Dambi Dollo Municipal Abattoir. The slaughtered animals were daily inspected for liver fasciolosis throughout the year of 2021. Macroscopic fasciolosis was detected from a total of 4424 basing on animals species, sex, season, and Fasciola species. In addition to this, fecal samples from 100 female cattle were collected for microscopic examination. The total prevalence rate of Fasciola species infection occurs in the study area were about 1364/4424 (30.83%) from the total cattle slaughtered carcasses. On sex based case, prevalence of fascioliasis was 8/24 (33.33%) and 1356/4400 (30.82%) for females and males cattle carcasses, respectively. The study revealed that the significance of season in finding that highest fasciolosis infection was recorded during winter and autumn. It constitutes a major cause of economic losses at study area and threat public health.