Chicken diseases and their ethno-botanical treatments among the rural poor in southern Zambia, Africa

摘要

VillagechickenproductioniswidespreadamongruralfarmersinZambiabecausesuchchickensprovideimmediateproteinsandcashtopoorruralcommunities.Furthermorevillagechickensareveryresistanttocommondiseasesfoundintheseruralsettingssorearingthemissustainable.Mostpeopleinthesecommunitieshave,overgenerations,learntrearingtechniquesthatincludeknowledgeonmanagingthecommonchickendiseases.Theyhavespecifictreatmentsfordifferentdiseasesbutunfortunatelythisinformationiskeptandpassedoninformallyalongfamilylinesandisrarelyrecorded.ThisstudyusedFocusGroupdiscussions(FGDs)todocumentsomeofthetreatmentstheyuseforNewcastledisease,Diarrhea,Fowlpox,Wobblylegs,Worms,andSneezing/coughingwhicharethenotablediseasesfarmerscommonlyencounter.Thestudyhopestostimulatebiomedicalresearchintheirusefulnessandpossibleincorporationinthemainstreamdiseasecontrolstrategiesofthecountry.