Lantana Poisoning in Two Administrative Areas of Eastern Ethiopia
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Date
2005-06
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Abstract
A study was conducted to determine the effect of lantana poisoning in eastern Ethiopia by the use of clinical survey, questionnaire survey and controlled experimental trial. For the clinical survey, information were collected through interview, inspecting the clinical signs, gross and microscopic lesions, distribution & availability of the plant. An overall clinical prevalence during the dry season was 16.7% and was found to be significantly higher in Harari Region (29.5%) compared to Babile district (8.7%). Furthermore, prevalence rate (39.9%) in Erer valley was significantly higher compared to other area (1.5%). Sex on the other hand seems to have no impact on the effect of lantana poisoning in the study area. The experimental trial involves two artificially challenged experimental groups, each with seven sheep and ten goats and matched control group without exposure. The trial demonstrated that lantana species prevailing in the area are toxic to sheep and goat at a dose rate of 40g/kg body weight. Clinical signs manifested by experimentally intoxicated poisoned sheep and goats include depression, decrease appetite, static rumen, jaundice, photosensitization, and dehydration with firm dry feces and or diarrhea with deep yellow color urine. The clinical symptoms and post mortem lesions diagnosed at field during clinical survey were quite similar to signs exhibited by experimentally intoxicated goats. The only exception was secondary complication that usually masks the primary cause in naturally intoxicated goats. This study has demonstrated that lantana has been spreading and infesting the vast area of eastern highland. From the study area alone, about 102,500 hectares of bush and shrubs land were infested. However, not all aspects of lantana are harmful: it serves as a source of firewood, serves as medicinal plant, for cleaning plastic cans, and to build fences around farm boundaries and encampments.
In any case, the harms that lantana infestation entails outweigh its beneficial traits. The community is expected to accept this fact and commit itself to manage and control lantana from infesting new area.