Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
The Maasai ethnodiagnostic skill of livestock diseases: a lead to traditional bioprospecting.
- Journal:
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
- Year:
- 2003
- Authors:
- Ole-Miaron, J O
- Affiliation:
- Department of Animal Physiology
Plain-English summary
A study looked at how the Ilkisonko Maasai people in Kenya identify and treat livestock diseases using their traditional knowledge. They gather information not just from the symptoms of the animals but also consider factors like the insects that might spread the disease, the time of year, and which animal species are affected. The Maasai use 18 different medicinal plants to help treat these illnesses. The findings suggest that their ability to diagnose diseases is an important part of their traditional methods for discovering new treatments.
Abstract
A survey study was conducted on the ethnoveterinary knowledge of the Ilkisonko Maasai of Kenya. The data on the ethnodiagnostic skills of livestock diseases was gathered using a well-structured questionnaire. The result show that the Maasai rely not only on symptoms of diseases but also on vectors of disease, season effects and species affected by a particular malady. The Ilkisonko Maasai use 18 medicinal plant species to combat the diseases positively diagnosed. It is concluded that, the Maasai ethnodiagnostic skill is the bases of their traditional bioprosecting techniques.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12499079/