Assessment of Plant and Chemical Poisoning In Livestock in Central Ethiopia

Abstract

The survey was conducted with the objective of assessing potentially poisonous plants and chemicals in and around Adama town, Central Ethiopia. Three types of structured questionnaires were developed and 118 individuals (93 livestock owners, 11 animal health practitioners and 14 factories managers) were interviewed on voluntary basis. The result of this assessment indicated that 71(76.3%) of livestock owners and 10(90.9%) of animal health practitioner complained presence of plant poisoning on livestock in the study area. Similarly 31 plants were identified as having poisoning effect on livestock among which Rhizophoraceae, Sorghum bicolar, Parthenium hysterophorus, and Medicago polymorpha had the highest botanical frequency. On the other hand, 22(23.7%) livestock owners and 1(9.1%) animal health practitioners observed chemical toxicosis, respectively. About two individuals of (14.2%) interviewed factories managers received complaints of chemical toxicosis of livestock due to inappropriate disposal of their wastes. Food shortage 48%, nutritional deficiency 10.4% and due to excess consumption 8.1% were identified as major risk factors which predispose livestock in and around Adama town to poisonous plants and toxic chemicals. Therefore, further study on complained poisonous plants and toxic chemicals in the study area, and institution of pertaining control and prevention method is strongly recommended.