Prevalence of Equine Wound and Associated Risk Factors in and around Kombolcha Town, North Ethiopia

Abstract

A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence wound and associated risk factors in equines in Kombolcha town, North Ethiopia. A total of 600 working equines were examined of which, 469 (78.2%) and 131(21.8%) were horses and donkeys, respectively. The overall prevalence of equine wound was 64% in which 64.2% and 63.4% of wound prevalence were detected in horses and donkeys, respectively. The prevalence of wound vary significantly among age categories of both species of animals (Horse: χ2 =39.3, P<0.05) and (Donkey: χ2 =15.62, P<0.05) where higher prevalence was noticed in adult horses and donkeys. Slightly higher proportion of wound was encountered in pre scapular areas of the body in both wounded horses (85.4%) and donkeys (14.6%). Abrasion, laceration (horses) and punctures (donkey) were among the most frequently encountered types of wounds. The intensity of injuries was highly associated with species (χ2 =7.2, P<0.05); injuries were more severe in horses (38.9%) than in donkeys (25.3%). The majority of these wounds were caused by improper harnesses in both species of animals in which the highest wound prevalence was recorded in horses (63.9%) and donkeys (68.7%) that used plastic and grass as a harnessing material, respectively. Surprisingly, of positive wound cases, only 33.7% in donkeys and 12.0% in horse has got wound treatment; however, the rest were left untreated. Generally, this study has figured out wound as a major health problem of working equines in and around Kombolcha town and hence, a comprehensive equine health programs should be implemented in order to alleviate the prevailing problem.