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Biblioteca The need for awareness raising on the causes and treatment of mastitis in livestock among pastoralists in southern Ethiopia

The need for awareness raising on the causes and treatment of mastitis in livestock among pastoralists in southern Ethiopia

The need for awareness raising on the causes and treatment of mastitis in livestock among pastoralists in southern Ethiopia

Resource information

Date of publication
Setembro 2016
Resource Language
ISBN / Resource ID
handle:10568/76996
License of the resource

Ethiopia has high prevalence of clinical and subclinical mastitis in different livestock

species and production systems and these contribute substantially to poor

productivity in affected herds. Thus far, studies have focused on identification of

microbial pathogens and associated risk factors for mastitis. However, relatively little

is known about the knowledge and beliefs of livestock keepers regarding prevailing

livestock health problems in general and mastitis in particular. An accurate

understanding of these beliefs would be central to the design of effective disease

control programs that give due consideration to the livestock keepers. As a first step,

we set out to conduct a qualitative study aimed at exploring the knowledge and belief

surrounding the causes, clinical signs and treatments for mastitis in (agro-) pastoral

communities in southern Ethiopia. In four village administrations of Yabello district of

Borana zone, different participatory tools were used to collect qualitative data.

Individual interviews were held with 40 women using a pre-tested semi-structured

questionnaire guide. Four focus group discussions with women were also carried out

(one in each village) and informal discussion were held with different community

members. The data was analysed qualitative by repeated reading to identify different

themes. Mastitis is locally known as ‘dhukkuba muchaa”, which translates to ‘disease

of teats’. Those interviewed classified mastitis into three types: (1) tick infestation

(dirandisa), (2) swelling of udder often with pus discharge (nyaqarsa) and (3) acute

mastitis caused by ‘evil eye’ (buda) associated with bloody milk. Tick infestation was

perceived to directly cause mechanical damage to udder tissue or to result in swelling

leading to nyaqarsa. Our analysis also revealed a strong perception that acute

mastitis is caused by 'evil eye'; generally affected cows are with large udders mostly

during late pregnancy and early lactation. The pastoralists often treat mastitis by

combining both modern and traditional methods. Hand removal and acarcide

application were the preferred methods for limiting tick infestation while swelling and

‘evil eye’ cases were treated with antibiotics (e.g. oxytetracycline). The study also

revealed that specific herbs, only known by the herbalists, were used for traditional

treatment of mastitis and although this information could not be divulged at the time,

it should form the subject of further investigation. Traditional treatment for evil eye

was often administered through nostrils, raising questions about its effectiveness. It is

interesting that the pastoralists associated mastitis to tick infestation which is

compatible with existing scientific evidence. However, the misperception of causes

for acute mastitis as ‘evil eye’ can be problematic as far as the application of

appropriate treatment and management of the disease is concerned and highlights

the need for capacity building on causes of mastitis and how they can be treated.

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Authors and Publishers

Author(s), editor(s), contributor(s)

Amenu, K.
Szonyi, B.
Wieland, Barbara
Grace, Delia

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