A local health expert has warned the public of the potential harm posed by natural remedies such as elephant dung (ndove yenzou).
Elephant dung is believed to possess healing properties to treat a range of ailments from nosebleeds to helping pregnant women give birth naturally (masuwo).
Speaking to The Herald, Maria Ncube from Bulawayo said she has used elephant dung when she was expecting and it worked for her. She said:
We’ve used elephant dung for generations. It’s our go-to remedy for many issues. Old women will tell you to soak elephant dung in water and drink for a quick childbirth. I have used it and it worked for me.
However, Dr Tsitsi Makanyanga, a veterinary doctor, warned that while elephant dung might seem like a natural solution, it may contain microorganisms that can cause disease.
Speaking during a session on HIV about animal health recently, Dr Makanyanga said:
We have the common practices that we do, and some of them are harmful and dangerous. From what I have learnt, taking elephant dung is done to help a woman in labour. Maybe it has something to do with the oxytocin that’s in that dung.
That oxytocin is the one which causes contractions, so if we are to take ndove yenzou (elephant dung), it means that if there are any zoonotic pathogens like salmonella which come through the gut, then there is a risk of us being infected.
And there is no dosage for that oxytocin in dung, it is just haphazard so it can be overdosed. This can cause abnormal contractions and may end up even killing the baby.
Dr Makanyanga said that there is a critical link between human and animal health, particularly in light of the rise in zoonotic diseases, which are transmissible between animals and humans through direct or indirect contact.
Globally, zoonotic diseases contribute to approximately one billion illnesses and 2.7 million deaths each year.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that 60% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, and 75% of over 30 new human pathogens detected in the past three decades have originated from animals.
A recent example of a zoonotic disease is Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Said Dr Makanyanga:
Also, HIV, although it is not a zoonotic disease, is a disease of animal origin. So, there’s a high chance that most of these emerging diseases could come from animals.
The list of zoonotic diseases is long, but there are some zoonotic diseases which are of primary concern.
Our clients should be aware of zoonotic diseases and other animal-related hazards. There’s insufficient information on the burden, trend, and risks of zoonotic diseases among the population.
There are inadequate resources for the control of zoonotic diseases. There is poor collaboration between public health, veterinary, and wildlife sectors.
So, this lack of integration compromises our efforts to control these zoonotic diseases, which are of concern to people, particularly those with HIV.
Zoonotic diseases are infections that can be naturally transmitted from animals to humans. They include rabies, salmonellosis, Lyme Disease, Zoonotic Influenza, Ebola, West Nile Virus, and Leptospirosis.
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