Health Expert Warns Against Using Elephant Dung As Natural Remedy
Health Expert Warns Against Using Elephant Dung As Natural Remedy
Pindula News
November 27, 2024
A local health expert has warned the public of the potential harm posed by
natural remedies such as elephant dung (ndove yenzou).
Elephant dung is believed to possess healing properties to treat a range of
ailments from nosebleeds to helping pregnant women give birth naturally
(masuwo).
Speaking to The Herald, Maria Ncube from Bulawayo said she has used
elephant dung when she was expecting and it worked for her. She said:
We’ve used elephant dung for generations. It’s our go-to remedy for many
issues. Old women will tell you to soak elephant dung in water and drink
for a quick childbirth. I have used it and it worked for me.
However, Dr Tsitsi Makanyanga, a veterinary doctor, warned that while
elephant dung might seem like a natural solution, it may contain
microorganisms that can cause disease.
Speaking during a session on HIV about animal health recently, Dr
Makanyanga said:
We have the common practices that we do, and some of them are harmful and
dangerous. From what I have learnt, taking elephant dung is done to help a
woman in labour. Maybe it has something to do with the oxytocin that’s in
that dung.
That oxytocin is the one which causes contractions, so if we are to take
ndove yenzou (elephant dung), it means that if there are any zoonotic
pathogens like salmonella which come through the gut, then there is a risk
of us being infected.
And there is no dosage for that oxytocin in dung, it is just haphazard so
it can be overdosed. This can cause abnormal contractions and may end up
even killing the baby.
Dr Makanyanga said that there is a critical link between human and animal
health, particularly in light of the rise in zoonotic diseases, which are
transmissible between animals and humans through direct or indirect contact.
Globally, zoonotic diseases contribute to approximately one billion
illnesses and 2.7 million deaths each year.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that 60% of emerging infectious
diseases are zoonotic, and 75% of over 30 new human pathogens detected in
the past three decades have originated from animals.
A recent example of a zoonotic disease is Coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19). Said Dr Makanyanga:
Also, HIV, although it is not a zoonotic disease, is a disease of animal
origin. So, there’s a high chance that most of these emerging diseases
could come from animals.
The list of zoonotic diseases is long, but there are some zoonotic diseases
which are of primary concern.
Our clients should be aware of zoonotic diseases and other animal-related
hazards. There’s insufficient information on the burden, trend, and risks
of zoonotic diseases among the population.
There are inadequate resources for the control of zoonotic diseases. There
is poor collaboration between public health, veterinary, and wildlife
sectors.
So, this lack of integration compromises our efforts to control these
zoonotic diseases, which are of concern to people, particularly those with
HIV.
Zoonotic diseases are infections that can be naturally transmitted from
animals to humans. They include rabies, salmonellosis, Lyme Disease,
Zoonotic Influenza, Ebola, West Nile Virus, and Leptospirosis.