Syakalima Michelo, Simuunza Martin, Zulu Victor Chisha
Department of Animal Health, School of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, South Africa.
Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, Great East Road Campus, Box 32379. Lusaka, Zambia.
Vet World. 2018 Feb;11(2):141-145. doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2018.141-145. Epub 2018 Feb 8.
Ethno veterinary knowledge has rarely been recorded, and no or limited effort has been made to exploit this knowledge despite its widespread use in Zambia. This study documented the types of plants used to treat important animal diseases in rural Zambia as a way of initiating their sustained documentation and scientific validation.
The study was done in selected districts of the Southern Zambia, Africa. The research was a participatory epidemiological study conducted in two phases. The first phase was a pre-study exploratory rapid rural appraisal conducted to familiarize the researchers with the study areas, and the second phase was a participatory rural appraisal to help gather the data. The frequency index was used to rank the commonly mentioned treatments.
A number of diseases and traditional treatments were listed with the help of local veterinarians. Diseases included: Corridor disease (Theileriosis), foot and mouth disease, blackleg, bloody diarrhea, lumpy skin disease, fainting, mange, blindness, coughing, bloat, worms, cobra snakebite, hemorrhagic septicemia, and transmissible venereal tumors. The plant preparations were in most diseases given to the livestock orally (as a drench). Leaves, barks, and roots were generally used depending on the plant type.
Ethno veterinary medicine is still widespread among the rural farmers in the province and in Zambia in general. Some medicines are commonly used across diseases probably because they have a wide spectrum of action. These medicines should, therefore, be validated for use in conventional livestock healthcare systems in the country to reduce the cost of treatments.
民族兽医学知识鲜有记录，尽管在赞比亚广泛应用，但对其开发利用的努力却很少或十分有限。本研究记录了赞比亚农村地区用于治疗重要动物疾病的植物种类，以此作为对这些知识进行持续记录和科学验证的开端。
该研究在非洲赞比亚南部的选定地区开展。这项研究是一项分两个阶段进行的参与性流行病学研究。第一阶段是预研究探索性快速农村评估，目的是让研究人员熟悉研究区域，第二阶段是参与性农村评估，以帮助收集数据。频率指数用于对常见提及的治疗方法进行排名。
在当地兽医的帮助下列出了一些疾病和传统治疗方法。疾病包括：走廊病（泰勒虫病）、口蹄疫、黑腿病、血性腹泻、结节性皮肤病、昏厥、疥癣、失明、咳嗽、腹胀、蠕虫病、眼镜蛇咬伤、出血性败血症和传染性性病肿瘤。在大多数疾病中，植物制剂是口服给牲畜（作为灌服剂）。根据植物类型，通常使用叶子、树皮和根。
民族兽医学在该省乃至整个赞比亚的农村农民中仍然广泛存在。一些药物在多种疾病中普遍使用，可能是因为它们具有广泛的作用谱。因此，这些药物应在该国的传统家畜医疗保健系统中进行有效性验证，以降低治疗成本。
