An ethno botanical survey was conducted from November 2014 to April 2015 in Melkabello district, Eastern Harerghe Zone, Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia. The objectives of the study were designed to document ethno veterinary medicinal plants and identify their associated threats. A structured and pre tested questionnaire was used to collect the required data. About 20 traditional healers were purposively selected based on the recommendation of local authorities. The majority of the healers were male, 16 (80%) and the remained 4 (20%) were females. In this study about 68 medicinal plant species belonging to 55 families were identified in the study area. The principal sources of the medicinal plants were from wild, cultivated and both with the proportion of 53 (77.9%), 12 (17.6%) and 3 (4.4 %), respectively. In this study herb, 27 (39.7%) followed by tree, 19 (27.9%) were the most commonly used habits of the plants by traditional healers. The major plant parts used were leaf, 40 (58.8%) and bark, 2 (2.9%). The most common administration routes were oral, 48 (70.6%) followed by topical, 12 (17.6%) and aerosol 3(4.4%). Febrile diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, external injuries, blackleg and reproductive insufficiency were treated by the traditional practioners. In conclusion, the study revealed that participants had a good knowledge to treat livestock ailments, but the dose varies among the healers. Therefore, further study should be conducted to evaluate the efficacy and standardize the dose of medicinal plants in the study area.Keywords: Ailments, Eastern Harerghe Zone, Ethiopia, Ethno-Veterinary,Medicinal Plants

A cross sectional study was conducted between November, 2013 and June, 2014 to determine the prevalence of chicken coccidiosis, identify Eimeria species and assess different risk factors in free ranging and intensively managed chickens. Test tube flotation technique was used for qualitative study of coccidian oocysts. Of 384 chickens examined, an overall prevalence of 19.5% (75) Among different species of Eimeria isolated Eimeria tenella and Eimeria acervulina were identified to be the major cause of the disease and each accounted 29(38.7%) of the total isolate of infected birds followed by 13.33% Eimeria necatrix and 9.33% Eimeria maxima. In conclusion, the present study showed that coccidiosis was an important disease of poultry in the study area and therefore, poultries infected with this parasite should be treated, chicken house should be periodically cleaned and disinfected as well as effective biosecurity measures should be in place.

Article Information A cross-sectional study was conducted at Nekemte Manicipality Abattoir from September 2009 to May 2010 to estimate the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis (BTB), and characterize its causative agents. Post mortem examination, bacteriological culturing, Zeihl Neelsen staining, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and region of difference-4 (RD4) deletion typing were used for investigation. Cattles (1168) were recruited for the study and the prevalence was found to be 5.9% (70/1186) on the basis of gross lesion. 70% of the gross lesion was detected in the thoracic cavity while 25% of the lesion was found in the abdominal cavity. Only 31.4% (22/70) of the suspicious lesions yielded colonies of which 19 were acid-fast positive. Further identification of these 19 isolates using multiplex PCR revealed that 17 isolates belong to the Genus Mycobacterium while the remaining two isolates did not show signal to the Genus. Of the 17 isolates that showed signal to the Genus Mycobacterium, 7 were members of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) complex while the remaining 10 isolates were members of the non-M. tuberculosis complex. Further identification and characterization of the M. tuberculosis complex members using RD4 deletion typing identified four isolates with intact RD4 which could be either M. tuberculosis or M. africanum and three isolates with deleted RD4 thus confirmed to be M. bovis. In conclusion, TB lesions were caused by both the members of M. tuberculosis complex and the non-M. tuberculosis complex Mycobacteria. Hence, as the majority of the isolates was the non-M. tuberculosis complex members, the pathogenecity of these members in cattle needs further study.