Farmers awareness and ethno-veterinary practices regarding porcine cysticercosis in the province of Boulkiemde, Burkina Faso

Abstract

Porcine cysticercosis is a major public health issue in Burkina Faso. This study investigated farmers’ awareness and ethno-veterinary practices regarding this disease in Boulkiemde province, Burkina Faso. A survey was done with 132 randomly selected pig farmers in 10 villages of two municipalities of Boulkiemde province, using a semi-structured questionnaire. The majority of interviewed farmers (54%) were from the Koudougou municipality and female (77%). The average number of pigs per farm was 5.4, and all pigs were roaming free during the dry season. All farmers already heard about porcine cysticercosis and the condition had various names in local languages in the study area. In the area, 66% of farmers observed porcine cysticercosis in their pigs, and among them 85% have noted cysticercosis cases in their farms during a period of six months before the survey. During the survey, farmers stated that, on average, infected pigs lost 62% of their market value. Among farmers, 77% knew some traditional treatments based on plants. Fourteen plants species were documented as used in the treatment of this disease. The most commonly used plant species is Parkia biglobosa, with a frequency index of 37%. In general, the leaves (44%), bark (30%), seeds (23%) and roots (3%) are used in treatments that are administered only orally. Key words: Burkina Faso, Sabou, Koudougou, Taenia solium, plant, treatment.