Diazinon, Tephrosia vogelii, and Cissus quadrangularis for Flea Control in Chickens: A Comparative Study
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Commercial insecticides, typically employed for poultry’s flea control, nevertheless there is a limitations on use of insecticide in the Ethiopian poultry sector due to high costs and availability. Consequently, ectoparasites pose a substantial health risk to chicken production across Ethiopia. This study aims to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of diazinon, Tephrosia vogelii, and Cissus quadrangularis in eradicating flea infestations in chickens within the Burji, Ethiopia. Furthermore, this research seeks to identify and explore alternative, locally accessible, and economically viable remedies for poultry farmers. A laboratory-based experimental study was conducted from April to December 2023 in the Burji District of southern Ethiopia. The experiments took place at the Regional Agricultural Office of the Veterinary Laboratory. The study protocol was approved (Ref No. 16.28/2023) by the appropriate institution and adhered to relevant guidelines and regulations, including obtaining consent and approval from participants. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select a total of 360 chickens from the Burji District for a comparative study. The collected data were entered and managed using Microsoft Excel 2010, and statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS software, version 20. A statistical difference was considered significant when p ≤ 0.05. The study demonstrated that leaf extracts of Tephrosia Vogelii were effective in the removal of fleas from the surface body of chickens in 48 hours from the first day of treatment. The one-way ANOVA showed that there was a significant difference between and within dependent variables in the mean onset of time (p < 0.05). The Multiple Comparison Tests (MCT) identified that diazinon (mean difference = 6.62) and T. vogelii (mean difference = 12) have a faster onset to kill fleas as compared to used Cissus quadrangularis. The medication adverse effect due to diazinon treatment was the highest (23 chickens (19%)), followed by Cissus quadrangularis (11 chickens (9%)) and 5 chickens (4%) of Tephrosia Vogelii leaf extract in the experimental trial. The study found that leaf extracts from Tephrosia vogelii were the most effective treatment for chicken fleas. The findings highlight the significant role of locally accessible ethnobotanical plants in preventing poultry ectoparasites within veterinary health services. However, the study did not explore the chemical markers of the active ingredients in these leaf extracts using various analytical techniques, which would provide therapeutic evidence. Therefore, to establish documented ethnoveterinary therapeutic knowledge in the future, a comprehensive laboratory-based clinical trial that is inclusive and representative may be necessary.