Gastrointestinal parasites are the major threats to camel production and productivity losses in pastoral communities of Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted starting from September 2017 to April 2018 in Administrative Zone three of the Afar Region, Ethiopia. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors for gastrointestinal parasites in camels. Fecal samples were collected aseptically from the rectum, and floatation and sedimentation techniques were used to identify the parasite in the laboratory. Out of 450 fecal samples collected from camels, 76% (71.8–79.7) of them were harboring at least one parasite in their gastrointestinal tract. The majority of infections were mixed parasitic infections. Nematodes, trematodes, protozoa, and cestodes were encountered in descending order of their prevalence. Strongyle, Trichostrongylus, and Haemonchus eggs were the most frequently encountered parasite eggs. The occurrence of parasite eggs was statistically significantly associated with the age of the camels and their origin ( p value <0.05). Older camels in the Amibara district were the most likely affected groups (OR = 2.34 (1.01–5.44)). However, the sex of the camels was not associated with the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites. Generally, the present study indicated a high prevalence of parasites which were economically important in the study area. So, awareness about the magnitude and control options should be given to the camel owners in the study area. Infected animals should be treated with effective anthelmintics like albendazole and ivermectin. Routine and scheduled deworming and good husbandry practices should be implemented. Further study on seasonal occurrences and species identification of the parasites should be studied.

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Background: Ethnoveterinary medicine is a scientific term for traditional animal health care that encompasses knowledge, belief, practice and skill of the community used for curing diseases and maintaining health of animals. A crosssectional study was conducted using semi-structured questionnaires from September 2016 to August 2017 to gather information on the knowledge, practice and skill of the pastoralists and traditional healers about the importance and application of Ethno-veterinary medicine. Moreover, this study was conducted with the objectives of identification and documentation of major ethno-veterinary medicinal plants commonly used to treat camel aliments in Afar region. Result: A total of 146 traditional healers and pastoralists were interviewed for baseline and reliable information about Ethno-veterinary medicinal practice in Afar region. Accordingly, 99.3% of the respondents were men in which 66.44% of them were in the age range of 45-60. Majorities (76.02%) of the information's concerning EVM were obtained from the elders among which 84.93% responded that the overall EVM practice and status in pastoral society of Afar is decreasing. A total of 710 plant species supposed to have medicinal property were recommended by pastoralists to be used for the treatment of 49 different animal diseases. Among 64 plants specimen collected, Balanites aegyptia, Cissus rotundifolia (Forssk.) Vahl, Cadaba rotundifolia Forssk, Solanum sp, Acalypha indica L and Tamarix aphylla (L.) Karsts were the commonly used plant species with high fidelity value. Concerned with plant parts used, leaf (20.5%) was the most frequently used plant parts followed by root (19.4%), fruit (14.4%), seed (10.8%) and entire plant (8.8%). These herbal remedies were administered orally, nasally, ocular and topically. Conclusion: pastoralists and traditional healers in Afar region have immense indigenous knowledge and practices of treating sick animals which should be supported by scientific techniques for analyzing the active ingredients contained in each plant species and for evaluating the safety, efficacy and dosage of the commonly used medicinal plants. In addition, on station establishment of commonly used medicinal plant nursery for conservation purpose and to conduct in-depth phytochemical analysis is paramount important.

From January to May 2018, a cross-sectional study was undertaken on lactating dairy cows in Bishoftu town to isolate Corynebacterium bovis, determine the prevalence and risk factors, and evaluate the effectiveness of several antibiotics in lactating dairy farms. Study animals were selected randomly from selected dairy farms in the area. Collecting milk samples from mastitic cows, cultivating, and then performing an antibiotic sensitivity test were the procedures followed. A total of 384 lactating dairy cows were examined with inspection and California Mastitis Test (CMT), in which 86 of them were found to be CMT positive. Accordingly, prevalence was 3.9% and 18.5% for cows affected by clinical and subclinical mastitis respectively. The prevalence of mastitis showed statistically significant difference between, lactation stage, breed, age and washing (p > 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference noted in animal husbandry practice (p > 0.05). A total of 384 lactating dairy cows were examined with inspection and CMT, in which 86 of them were found to be CMT positive. Out of the 86 mastitis positive samples (sample indicates milk from one cow) sent to microbiology laboratory for microbiological examination, 7 bacterial isolates were identified as Corynebacterium bovis. The biochemical and morphological characteristics of 7 (1.8%) C. bovis isolated from bovine milk samples and the C. bovis reference strains were found to be uniform. Valuable criteria for identification were presence of catalase and oxidase, production of acid from glucose and a requirement for enriched basal media. C. bovis isolates have revealed a higher sensitivity to the kanamycin and streptomycin (71.4% each). A certain resistance has been noted to oxytetracycline (71.4%) and nalidixic acid (42.8%). Higher number of isolates showed moderate sensitivity or resistance to amoxicillin (51.1%). Regarding to multidrug resistance, the study reflects that only one isolate (14.3%) shows multidrug resistance to four drugs namely kanamycin, amoxicillin, nalidixic acid and oxytetracycline. This study demonstrated that mastitis due to C. bovis is rare in lactating dairy farms in Bishoftu. Some of the risk factors for mastitis can be addressed by practical management of dairy cows. Farm owners should selectively use the antibiotics to which the bacteria do not show resistance, such as streptomycin and kanamycin.