Potential use of indigenous plants for zoonotic helminth diseases in South Africa

Public health challenges such as zoonotic diseases caused by worm parasites are growing in importance worldwide, in the subregion and in South Africa. Novel sustainable approaches for managing these diseases are urgently needed because of the resistance of organisms to remedies and pressures due to environmental awareness to reduce the levels of chemicals used in animals. Numerous ethnoveterinary plants identified by resource-poor farmers in South Africa are used for the treatment of worm diseases in their livestock and in humans. Treatments with plants are used for removal of the pork tapeworm (Taenia solium) which is a zoonosis and causes a serious disease in humans, neurocysticercosis, which results in epilepsy and often death. This parasite is a serious agricultural problem and public health risk in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. In a current study, 20% of 140 pig owners interviewed about practices used for the management of porcine cysticercosis in the Eastern Cape indicated their use of indigenous plants and traditional remedies to treat this disease. The potential for the use and development of indigenous plants relies on the availability of the current information and relevant databases. Recently, the World Health Organization estimated that 80% of the populations of developing countries rely on traditional medicine, mostly plant drugs, for their primary health care needs.

In November 2003, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in South Africa awarded a grant to address the ”Potential use of indigenous plants for zoonotic helminth diseases in South Africa”. This study will run until June 2005.

A brief outline of the objectives and primary activities are:

a) To collate current existing data on plants used by resource-poor farmers in Africa, the subregion and South Africa, with a focus on those used for the treatment of worms in all animals and humans, with a focus on zoonotic worm diseases (specifically cysticercosis and echinococcosis),

b) Conduct a survey to gather more knowledge on plants and usage filling in the gaps identified in the first objective and

c) Identify biotechnological entities interested in products with anthelmintic properties and efficacy against zoonotic helminths and arrange linkages with emerging farmers.

For further information contact:

Professor RC "Tammi" Krecek

Extraordinary Professor (Pretoria)

BS, MS, PhD,MAP, MBA

P.O. Box 12832

Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa

Tel/Fax: +27 012 329 1210

Cell     : +27 082 779 1402

E-mail :  krecek@icon.co.za