Bird diseases are one of the major challenges in poultry farming.
Be it chicken, ducks, geese, or any other poultry disease they can wipe out entire flocks or interfere with productivity and the growth of the birds.
Coccidiosis is one of the costliest poultry diseases in Kenya causing over 50 per cent in losses for farmers.
The use of prophylactic antibiotics– drugs given to prevent, rather than treat diseases– has led to the development of Coccidiosis drug resistance.
At Egerton University’s Safe Food Reference Laboratory (SAF-Lab), researchers have developed an herbal remedy dubbed Aloe Secundiflora Herbal Extract (ASHE), which they affirm prevents Coccidiosis parasites in 80 per cent of free-range chickens helping control the rise in artificial drug resistance in poultry.
According to lead scientist Professor Charles Muleke Inyangwa the drug which is made from aloe vera powder extract offers poultry farmers natural prevention against Coccidiosis without the risk of transmission of drug-resistant bacteria to humans.
“40 percent of poultry diseases in Kenya have exhibited resistance to artificial drugs. With over 25 percent of poultry in the country being afflicted by Coccidiosis, an herbal remedy for this disease will save the country’s poultry sector millions,” states Professor Inyangwa.
He adds “Poultry farming has been facing a silent epidemic: internal parasites. Ascaris and coccidian parasites wreak havoc on free-range chickens, causing substantial economic losses for farmers. The indiscriminate use of antimicrobials and dewormers has led to drug-resistant poultry, leaving farmers desperate for safe and effective alternatives. Our goal is to develop an herbal drug that is both effective and safe for consumption,”
Prof. Inyangwa observes that the drug, which can also be used to treat Roundworms is administered to birds through water and has indicated that it can reduce Coccidiosis infection rates by 81 percent.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations points out that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in animals threatens the livelihoods of millions of subsistence livestock keepers.
FAO projects that in just ten years over 24 million people will slide into extreme poverty as a result of AMR.
Prof. Inyangwa explains that the journey of ASHE begins in Baringo County, where Aloe Secundiflora is harvested. The leaves are meticulously chopped to extract the gel, which then undergoes a rigorous freeze-drying process.
This involves lyophilization at negative 80°Centigrade for 24 hours, followed by a transfer to a freezer vacuum chamber for an additional 18 hours.
The result is a fine powder, which is then packaged into 30-gram containers, ready for use.
He states that administered orally to chickens through water, ASHE works by inhibiting the hatching of helminth eggs and coccidian oocytes.
“Trials have proven that this herbal extract can reduce fecal egg counts by 53 percent and oocyst counts by an impressive 80.8 percent, compared to untreated controls,” notes the lead researcher.
Having demonstrated its effectiveness in combating Coccidiosis and Ascaris Professor Inyangwa and his team are now seeking the Kenya Bureau of Standards’ approval for sale to farmers.
“We’ve worked hard to develop a product that meets the needs of our farmers. Our trials have shown that ASHE is effective, and we are confident it will be a game-changer once it hits the market,” he told KNA.
The Safe Food Reference Laboratory at Egerton University’s Main Campus is funded by the National Research Fund (NRF).
Prof. Inyangwa observes that in regions where poultry farming is a critical source of income and nutrition, helminth and coccoidal diseases have been devastating farmers as they impair growth, suppress immune systems, and lead to high mortality rates among chickens.
“Our ASHE innovation offers hope. Since it is a natural product, it ensures that poultry meat and eggs remain free from harmful drug residues, addressing both health and safety concerns. The extract’s effectiveness in trials has given farmers renewed optimism,” notes the Professor of Veterinary Parasitology and Immunology.
He points out that chickens on free-range feed on anything they come across provided it is edible. This not only predisposes the poultry to deadly bacteria but also humans.
Such bacteria include Escherichia coli, staphylococcus, Salmonella typhi among others.
Prof. Inyangwa says that these diseases cause 50 per cent of afflicted birds and can affect humans in the form of food poisoning if consumed.
By Anne Mwale
