Indigenous Medicinal Plants Administered for the Prevention and Treatment of Influenza

Abstract

Influenza infection remains the most contagious disease and was recently linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. More research is currently designed to explore the potential benefits of indigenous plant-derived medicine to prevent and cure influenza. The purpose of this study was to determine medicinal plants used to treat influenza from a list of 89 plant species identified during previous ethnobotanical research conducted between 2012 and 2019. The study was conducted among four rural communities of Bapedi in Limpopo Province, South Africa. A mixed-methods approach was used to collect data. The study findings indicate that influenza is a seasonal and highly spread illness. The most often used methods of preventing influenza susceptibility were fumigating one’s residence and courtyard with indigenous plant-derived remedies, administering infusions and decoctions orally, as well as therapeutic steam and incense. Isolation is another method of avoiding influenza from spreading to other family members. Currently, this method is being used to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study’s results augment existing data about indigenous plant-derived medicines that show promise in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Keywords: Indigenous knowledge, plant-derived medicine, influenza, pandemic, COVID-19