Assessment of the occurrence of bracken fern (<i>Pteridium aquilinum</i>) poisoning in cattle and management practices in Cheliya, Jibat, and Dire Inchini districts of West Shewa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) poisoning in cattle can cause a variety of clinical signs including bloody urine, anemia, tumor in the urinary bladder, weakness, wight loss and death. A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2016 to June 2017 to assess the occurrence, causes, and management practices of bloody urine in cattle of three affected districts (Cheliya, Dire Inchini, and Jibat districts) of West Showa zone of Oromia, Ethiopia. A total of 215 cattle-owning households were randomly selected for the questionnaire survey. Field observation was performed on the grazing land and affected populations. Six animals with symptoms of bloody urine were examined clinically, followed by postmortem and histopathological examinations. The questionnaire survey showed that 72.1% of the households had at least one bloody urine case in their cattle herd and most cases were from Cheliya districts. In 33.0% of the households, at least one cow or ox died after showing bloody urine. The occurrence of bloody urine cases was related to the dry season, feed shortage, access to bracken fern-infested pasture, and a known history of eating bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum). All six suspected cattle exhibited chronic wasting and hematuria. Postmortem examination revealed petechial hemorrhage, papillomatous formations, thickened areas of mucosa, and white/red nodules on the urinary bladder and hemorrhage, inflammation resulting from mononuclear cells infiltration and hemangiosarcoma during the histopathological examination. Severe bracken fern infestation, chronic hematuria, and wasting and postmortem/histopathological findings in the bladder were all suggestive of bracken fern poisoning. Bracken fern poisoning is a prevalent cattle health problem with a significant economic effect in the study areas. Therefore, an integrated approach that includes limiting access to cattle, reducing the infestation, cultivating improved forage and creating community awareness should be implemented to minimize the effect of bracken fern infested areas.