News / Regional
Villagers resort to human antibiotics to cure chickens
11 Jan 2015 at 09:34hrs | Views
VILLAGERS in Silobela and parts of Zhombe in the Midlands province have resorted to administering antibiotic drugs meant for human beings to their chickens in desperate attempts to contain a flu-like bug that has ravaged their areas, threatening to wipe out their stock, it can be revealed.
Some villagers in Silobela's Chiguhune area, who spoke to Sunday News last week said many villagers have been left counting their losses after losing entire broods to the bug which they said started wreaking havoc around November last year.
Officials from the Department of Veterinary Services in the province suspect an outbreak of the Newcastle disease in the area and have since taken samples for tests with results expected sometime next week.
The villagers said some of their counterparts who still have chickens had since turned to endocet and co-trimoxazole to salvage the situation as they allege that conventional remedies seemed not to be working.
Some of the symptoms the chickens are said to be showing once infected by the bug include coughing, diarrhoea, lack of appetite and tiredness shown by general inactivity.
"We have tried to use the usual remedies but the birds are not responding. Once the chickens start showing those symptoms, it will be a matter of two or so days before they die.
"Some here have lost all their chickens to the infection which up to now we are struggling to know what it is. I have lost eight birds so far before I started using a mixture of co-trimoxazole and endocet. I can say that has been working, because ever since I started using it I have not lost a single bird.
"We crush the tablets into powder then mix it with water which we then give the sick bird. If you give the tablets to the birds for two days, you will start noticing improvements. It works, it has been working for me," said Mr Moses Manyeruke of Silobela.
Co-trimoxazole is used to treat certain bacterial infections in human beings, such as pneumonia, bronchitis and infections of the urinary tract, ears, and intestines. The drug is a combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole and it works by stopping the growth of bacteria.
Endocet (oxycodone and acetaminophen) is used to relieve moderately severe pain. Oxycodone is a narcotic pain reliever while acetaminophen is a non-narcotic pain reliever.
Co-trimoxazole is a prescription drug which can only be given to one upon producing a doctor's prescription, but the villagers say they get the drug from local clinics under false pretence that they would be sick.
Another villager from Silobela, Mrs Janet Musakwa said she lost all her chickens to the bug and only learnt of the co-trimoxazole remedy a little too late.
"I had about 15 chickens, one cock, eight hens and the rest were chicks. I lost all those inside a space of two months. I tried everything from ESB3 to traditional remedies but they didn't work. I only learnt that other villagers were using co-trimoxazole a little too late when I had lost all my chickens.
"A lot of them who are using it (co-trimoxazole) say it is working and we believe them because they still have chickens and some of us no longer have," she said.
It is a similar situation in Zhombe, which shares borders with Silobela, where villagers have also reported losing their chickens to the flu like disease and have also turned to antibiotics as remedy.
The villagers said veterinary officers in their areas seemed to be struggling to diagnose the mysterious disease, as they have not been able to proffer a solution for close to three months since the bug attacked the area.
"They have taken samples from the dead chickens for tests but have not returned to us with the results. We have made follow ups to no avail. The medicines they have prescribed did not work and now most of us are resorting to the antibiotics and it is working," said Mrs Samkeliso Tshuma of Zhombe.
However, some villagers have come up with conspiracy theories and suspect witchcraft, as they question the sporadic manner in which the virus is spreading, randomly attacking some homesteads and leaving others.
"I doubt if this is an ordinary virus. There are some mischievous characters here among us who are causing this. How do you explain that the disease attacks three or four homesteads and then skips one or two to continue on another homestead in the same line," said Mr Kenias Donga from Zhombe's Gwenzi area.
Midlands provincial veterinary officer Dr Thomas Sibanda confirmed that his office had picked the flu like bug in Silobela, Zhombe and surrounding areas and were still conducting investigations to establish the nature of the disease.
"We had reports of such a disease and we are still conducting investigations. Reports are coming from Silobela, Zhombe and parts of Lower Gweru. We have taken samples and we are conducting tests to establish the sort of disease that is affecting the area.
"From the symptoms our officers on the ground observed we suspect that it could be Newcastle disease. We, however, have to conduct tests and establish exactly what the disease is before we move in to conduct vaccinations.
"There are antibiotics for chickens and other animals and there is no reason why people should use human medicines to cure animals. It is not recommended and I wonder how health officials in the area are failing to pick up the abuse of the drugs," he said. A Bulawayo based pharmacist who spoke on condition of anonymity for professional reasons said it was possible for antibiotics to treat viral infections in chickens and other animals.
"It's not recommended though to use medicines meant for humans on animals or vice versa but in certain circumstances it can work. For example in the case that you talking about, antibiotics can be used to treat animals showing signs of bacterial or viral infection. We have heard of some people who are even using ARVs to treat their animals of any viral infection.
"It works, but may come with some unforeseen side affects. It is not recommended at all," she said.
Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe spokesperson Mr Richard Rukwata said it was illegal for anyone to get medicine under the false pretence that they were sick and then later use the medicine for other purposes.
"We don't condone such abuse of medicines. People should know that medicine that is meant to be used by human beings should not be used for any other purposes.
"Antibiotic medicine is prescription medicine that should only be sold to a patient upon producing a doctor's prescription. If people are getting the medicine under false pretence then it is something else. That should not be allowed to go on," he said.
Newcastle disease is an infection of domestic poultry and other bird species with virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV). It presents primarily as an acute respiratory disease, but depression, nervous manifestations, or diarrhoea may be the predominant clinical form.
Some villagers in Silobela's Chiguhune area, who spoke to Sunday News last week said many villagers have been left counting their losses after losing entire broods to the bug which they said started wreaking havoc around November last year.
Officials from the Department of Veterinary Services in the province suspect an outbreak of the Newcastle disease in the area and have since taken samples for tests with results expected sometime next week.
The villagers said some of their counterparts who still have chickens had since turned to endocet and co-trimoxazole to salvage the situation as they allege that conventional remedies seemed not to be working.
Some of the symptoms the chickens are said to be showing once infected by the bug include coughing, diarrhoea, lack of appetite and tiredness shown by general inactivity.
"We have tried to use the usual remedies but the birds are not responding. Once the chickens start showing those symptoms, it will be a matter of two or so days before they die.
"Some here have lost all their chickens to the infection which up to now we are struggling to know what it is. I have lost eight birds so far before I started using a mixture of co-trimoxazole and endocet. I can say that has been working, because ever since I started using it I have not lost a single bird.
"We crush the tablets into powder then mix it with water which we then give the sick bird. If you give the tablets to the birds for two days, you will start noticing improvements. It works, it has been working for me," said Mr Moses Manyeruke of Silobela.
Co-trimoxazole is used to treat certain bacterial infections in human beings, such as pneumonia, bronchitis and infections of the urinary tract, ears, and intestines. The drug is a combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole and it works by stopping the growth of bacteria.
Endocet (oxycodone and acetaminophen) is used to relieve moderately severe pain. Oxycodone is a narcotic pain reliever while acetaminophen is a non-narcotic pain reliever.
Co-trimoxazole is a prescription drug which can only be given to one upon producing a doctor's prescription, but the villagers say they get the drug from local clinics under false pretence that they would be sick.
Another villager from Silobela, Mrs Janet Musakwa said she lost all her chickens to the bug and only learnt of the co-trimoxazole remedy a little too late.
"I had about 15 chickens, one cock, eight hens and the rest were chicks. I lost all those inside a space of two months. I tried everything from ESB3 to traditional remedies but they didn't work. I only learnt that other villagers were using co-trimoxazole a little too late when I had lost all my chickens.
"A lot of them who are using it (co-trimoxazole) say it is working and we believe them because they still have chickens and some of us no longer have," she said.
It is a similar situation in Zhombe, which shares borders with Silobela, where villagers have also reported losing their chickens to the flu like disease and have also turned to antibiotics as remedy.
The villagers said veterinary officers in their areas seemed to be struggling to diagnose the mysterious disease, as they have not been able to proffer a solution for close to three months since the bug attacked the area.
"They have taken samples from the dead chickens for tests but have not returned to us with the results. We have made follow ups to no avail. The medicines they have prescribed did not work and now most of us are resorting to the antibiotics and it is working," said Mrs Samkeliso Tshuma of Zhombe.
However, some villagers have come up with conspiracy theories and suspect witchcraft, as they question the sporadic manner in which the virus is spreading, randomly attacking some homesteads and leaving others.
"I doubt if this is an ordinary virus. There are some mischievous characters here among us who are causing this. How do you explain that the disease attacks three or four homesteads and then skips one or two to continue on another homestead in the same line," said Mr Kenias Donga from Zhombe's Gwenzi area.
Midlands provincial veterinary officer Dr Thomas Sibanda confirmed that his office had picked the flu like bug in Silobela, Zhombe and surrounding areas and were still conducting investigations to establish the nature of the disease.
"We had reports of such a disease and we are still conducting investigations. Reports are coming from Silobela, Zhombe and parts of Lower Gweru. We have taken samples and we are conducting tests to establish the sort of disease that is affecting the area.
"From the symptoms our officers on the ground observed we suspect that it could be Newcastle disease. We, however, have to conduct tests and establish exactly what the disease is before we move in to conduct vaccinations.
"There are antibiotics for chickens and other animals and there is no reason why people should use human medicines to cure animals. It is not recommended and I wonder how health officials in the area are failing to pick up the abuse of the drugs," he said. A Bulawayo based pharmacist who spoke on condition of anonymity for professional reasons said it was possible for antibiotics to treat viral infections in chickens and other animals.
"It's not recommended though to use medicines meant for humans on animals or vice versa but in certain circumstances it can work. For example in the case that you talking about, antibiotics can be used to treat animals showing signs of bacterial or viral infection. We have heard of some people who are even using ARVs to treat their animals of any viral infection.
"It works, but may come with some unforeseen side affects. It is not recommended at all," she said.
Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe spokesperson Mr Richard Rukwata said it was illegal for anyone to get medicine under the false pretence that they were sick and then later use the medicine for other purposes.
"We don't condone such abuse of medicines. People should know that medicine that is meant to be used by human beings should not be used for any other purposes.
"Antibiotic medicine is prescription medicine that should only be sold to a patient upon producing a doctor's prescription. If people are getting the medicine under false pretence then it is something else. That should not be allowed to go on," he said.
Newcastle disease is an infection of domestic poultry and other bird species with virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV). It presents primarily as an acute respiratory disease, but depression, nervous manifestations, or diarrhoea may be the predominant clinical form.
Source - Sunday News
