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Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) is an economically important cattle disease with worldwide distribution and characterized mainly by suboptimal fertility in the affected herds. The objectives of this study were to estimate the seroprevalence of BVDV within dairy cattle, to identify potential risk factors, and to assess the association with occurrence of reproductive problems. Sera (n = 954) collected from dairy cattle from 98 herds in southern and central Ethiopia were tested for BVDV antibodies using a commercial ELISA. Among screened sera samples, 20.9% (95% CI, 18.4, 23.6) tested positive to BVDV antibodies. The herd prevalence was 50% (95% CI, 40.1, 59.9) and the intra-herd prevalence ranged between 2.6 and 100% (mean = 31.4%) in positive herds. Geographic region, herd size, and animal arrangement in the farm had significant association with serostatus (p

This study was conducted from October, 2013 to May, 2014 to identify and compare common health and welfare problems of pack donkeys and cart horses in and around Holeta town, central Ethiopia. The presence of the problems was directly assessed on 301 pack donkeys and 84 cart horses, and indirectly assessed in the areas where the study animals were living, grazing and working. Indirect assessments of the problems were also conducted using focus group discussions with 64 equine owners and 8 animal health professionals. Oral problems (2.3 and 16.7%), back sore (13.6 and 1.2%), girth sore (2.7 and 17.9%), tail base sore (15.6 and 0%), abnormal behavior (14.3 and 0%), epizootic lymphangitis (EL) (0 and 10.7%), wound (33 and 44%) and hoof overgrowth (62.5 and 35.7%) were identified on pack donkeys and cart horses, respectively. Indirect assessments indicated that the animals are affected by strangles, tetanus, anthrax, colic, lameness, EL, wounds, parasites, sarcoids, rabies, African horse sickness, owner abuses, shortage of feed and water, and housing problems in the area. This study revealed that back sore, tail sore and abnormal behavior were more frequently occurring in pack donkeys whereas girth sore and oral problems were more common in cart horses. Cart horses were highly affected by epizootic lymphangitis. Both species were more or less similarly affected by lameness, strangles, tetanus, colic, wounds, parasites, owner abuses, and lack of proper feeding, watering and housing. Therefore, awareness creation of the population about the use of these animals for working and good management system should be promoted by the government in the area. Capacity building services should also be delivered for local animal health professionals. Key words: Donkeys, horses, health, welfare, Ethiopia.

A cross-sectional study was conducted in three selected districts (representing pastoral/agro-pastoral and mixed farming systems) of South Omo zone of southern Ethiopia between May and October 2014, with the aim of estimating the seroprevalence of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) and identifying potential risk factors associated with the infection. A total of 894 serum samples were collected from 382 sheep and 512 goats. Sera samples were examined for presence of PPR antibodies with competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA). The overall seroprevalence was 30.8% with 16.2% in sheep and 41.7% in goats. Goats were more likely (OR = 3.6, 95% CI: 2.5, 5.1) to be seropositive than sheep. Multivariable logistic regression analysis of exposure variables identified a significant association of PPR seroprevalence with district and sex (P 0.05). In conclusion, the serological study confirmed the high prevalence and endemicity of PPR in the pastoral and agro-pastoral areas of South Omo zone. The high sero-prevalence demands serious attention as the disease is known to cause considerable health and welfare problem in small ruminants and threaten livelihoods of poor herders raising them.

This work was conducted to estimate the seroprevalence, to identify potential factors that influence seroprevalence of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), and to investigate the association between BVDV serostatus and occurrence of reproductive disorders in dairy cattle in three milksheds in Ethiopia. A total of 1379 serum samples were obtained from cattle randomly selected from 149 herds from three milksheds representing central, southern, and western Ethiopia. Sera samples were examined for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) antibodies using commercial competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Logistic regression analysis was employed to investigate associations between risk factors and the risk of BVDV seroprevalence, and BVDV serostatus and reproductive disorders. Seroreaction to BVDV antigens was detected in 32.6% of the 1379 cattle and 69.8% of the 149 herds sampled. Factors associated with BVDV seroplevalence were age, breed, and herd size (P 0.05). Adult cattle ≥ 18 months old had 2.1 (95% CI 1.5, 3.1) times the odds of BVDV seroreaction than younger cattle. Holstein-Friesian (HF) local crosses (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.3, 3.4) and HFs (OR = 1.3, 95% CI 0.9, 1.9) were more likely to be seropositive than Jersey and the odds of seropositivity in cattle in large herds with 11 or more animals were higher (OR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.3, 2.5) than the odds of BVDV seropositivity in smaller herds. Seroprevalence was not associated with geographical region (P 0.05). Risk of reproductive disorders was not affected by BVDV serostatus, except for repeat breeding (P 0.05). The present study demonstrated that BVDV has wide distribution in the country being detected in all the 15 conurbations and 69.8% of herds involved in the study.

A cross-sectional study was conducted at Wolaita Sodo municipality abattoir during November 2010 to April 2011 with the objectives to estimate the prevalence of Fasciola infection in slaughtered cattle and to assess the associated financial loss due to liver condemnation. Livers and feces of a total of 415 randomly selected cattle slaughtered at the abattoir were examined for Fasciola and their ova, respectively. Of the 415 livers and fecal sample examined, 127 (30.6%) and 103 (24.8%) were positive, respectively. Both Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica were identified during the study. However F. gigantica was more prevalent (27.0%) than F. hepatica (3.6%) (P

The present study was conducted to determine the occurrence, serotype distribution and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella serotypes in slaughtered cattle, slaughterhouse environment and retail beef. Cecal content (CC), mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), spleen and carcass swab (CS) samples (each, n=150) were collected from 150 cattle slaughtered at Hawassa municipality slaughterhouse. Floor swab specimens (SHFS) were collected on 11 occasions from the slaughterhouse, and 100 beef samples were collected from 100 butcher shops. The samples were cultured for Salmonella, following standard procedures. A total of 14 Salmonella isolates belonging to 3 serotypes namely Salmonella enterica serotype Muenchen (4 isolates), S. enterica serotype 1,4,5,12:i:- (5) and S. enterica serotype Korovi (5) were recovered. All of the 5 S. enterica serotype 1,4,5,12:i:- isolates belonged to phage type 120. Four (2.7%) of the slaughtered cattle carried Salmonella in their CC and/or MLN, while none of the spleen samples were positive for Salmonella. Salmonella was isolated from four (2.7%) CC and two (1.3%) MLN samples. Out of the total of 150 CS samples, two (1.3%) were found contaminated with Salmonella, while 4 (4%) of the 100 beef samples obtained from butcher shops yielded Salmonella. Two of the 11 (18%) SHFS were positive for Salmonella. All the four isolates from beef were S. enterica serotype Muenchen, while both of the isolates from MLN were S. enterica serotype1,4,5,12:i:-. Both S. enterica serotype1,4,5,12:i:- and S. enterica serotype Korovi were isolated from CC, CS and slaughterhouse environment. All the 14 isolates recovered during the study were tested and found pan-susceptible to a panel of 14 antimicrobials. The present study helped to update the information on the occurrence, serotype distribution and antibiogram of Salmonella in slaughter cattle and beef in Ethiopia.

Infection with abomasal nematodes, especially haemonchosis, is one of the most important problems challenging small ruminant production in the tropics. This study was carried out to identify nematodes infecting the abomasa, and estimate their prevalence and count in goats slaughtered in Mekelle town, northern Ethiopia. A total of 166 abomasa of goats were examined for postmortem differential adult nematode parasites count using standard procedure. Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrogylus axei were recovered from 126 (75.9%) and 109 (65.7%) abomasa, respectively. It was noted that 152 (91.6%) goats harbored at least one of the parasites, while 83 (50%) goats were found infected with both parasites. Mean and maximum adult worm counts were 39.2 and 270 and 55.2 and 600 for Haemonchus spp. and T. axei , respectively. Months of the year had significant (p

Gastrointestinal (GI) nematode infections are a major health challenge affecting productive and reproductive performance of sheep and goats in Ethiopia. However, there is no comprehensive summary on the occurrence and distribution of the infection at national level. This systematic review provides pooled prevalence estimates and assesses potential predictors of the nematode infections in small ruminants, i.e. helpful in planning interventions or control strategies. The review used 50 animal level datasets retrieved from 24 manuscripts. The studies used data collected from 9407 sheep and 3478 goats. A meta-analytical approach was employed to analyze Effect size (ES). The reported GI nematodes represented eleven genera affecting sheep and goats including: Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Teladorsagia/Ostertagia, Strongyloides, Bunostomum, Nematodirus, Chabertia, Trichuris, Cooperia, Skrjabinema and Oesophagostomum. The GI nematodes pooled prevalence estimate in the random effect model was 75.8% (95% CI: 69.6, 80.8). The subgroup analysis revealed significant (p

Lungworms are important parasitic nematodes of small ruminants that colonize the lower respiratory tract and cause high morbidity and economic loss throughout the world. This systematic review was conducted with the aim of estimating the pooled prevalence of lungworm infection in small ruminants in Ethiopia. Besides, it examines the predictors thought to be responsible for heterogeneity noted between the reports. The search databases used were PubMed, CAB direct, AJOL and Web of science. Eligible studies were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Thirty two studies published between 2000 and 2016 were found eligible and data were generated on 14,257 small ruminants (12,310 sheep and 1947 goats). Predictors including the study area, type of small ruminants affected, parasitic species involved, a diagnostic test used, study design, management systems, breed, agroecology, and year article published were used as milestone of data extraction. The statistical tool employed were meta-analysis, univariable and multivariable meta-regression and Egger's and begg's statistics for sensitivity analysis. Accordingly, the estimated pooled prevalence of lung worm infection in small ruminants was 40.8% (95% CI: 36.1, 45.6) with a very high heterogeneity between the study reports (I2 = 96.5%). However, diagnostic test used and administrative States were the only two predictors identified to explain 15.5% of the explainable heterogeneity (R2 = 0.1545, tau2 unexplained = 0.6032, tau2 total = 0.7135) noted between studies. The reviewed studies showed that three genera of lungworms, namely Dictyocaulus filaria, Mullerius capillaris and Protostrogylus rufescens were prevalent both in sheep and goats in Ethiopia. Mixed infection with two or three species was reported in 4.4 to 48.6% of the total infected animals. Indeed this review is informative and provides a better picture on lungworm infection in Ethiopia; however, it is not exhaustively detailed as there was lack of clear data on the role of some important factors like age, flock size, management system and seasonal variation on lungworm infection. Thus, thorough epidemiological studies including all seasons are required for formulation of meaning full control strategies.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the association between diabetes and ASB in women, identify the bacteria involved and determine their antimicrobial resistance. Diabetic (n=100) and non-diabetic (n=100) nonpregnant women, with no abnormalities of the urinary tract were involved in the study. Clean-catch midstream urine samples were collected for bacterial isolation and identification. Questionnaire was used to collect demographic and clinical information of the patient. ASB was diagnosed in 22(22%) diabetic and 15(15%) nondiabetic women. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase negative staphylococci, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus species were isolated from both groups of study subjects. There was no statistically significant difference in the relative frequency of isolated bacteria species among the two groups of patients (P>0.05). Most of the isolated bacteria were resistant to amoxicillin (96%), penicillin (92%) and vancomycin (70%), but susceptible to ceftriaxone (60%), norfloxacin (62%) and gentamicin (62%). Occurrence of ASB was not associated with diabetic status in women attending Hawassa University Referral Teaching Hospital.

Reproductive disorders in dairy cattle have been noted to be common in urban and peri-urban dairy production system in Ethiopia. The available reports on the causes of these disorders, however, are not conclusive. A case-control study was designed to investigate the possible association of major reproductive disorders in dairy cattle with exposure status to bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1), bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and Schmallenberg virus (SBV). Cows with history of abortion/stillbirth were considered as cases (n=204) while, those cows with no such history were taken as control (n=359). The serological screening tests used for all the three viruses were blocking enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (B-ELISAs). Of the total 563 samples tested 58.4%, 43.8% and 32.9% were positive for SBV, BHV-1 and BVDV, respectively. Significant difference between cases and controls were noted for SBV (p=0.026) and BHV-1 exposures (p0.001). The difference noted for BVDV serostatus was not significant (p0.05). The highest proportion (28.9%) of concurrent exposures was noted for BHV-1 and SBV, followed by SBV and BVDV (21.5%) and BHV-1 and BVDV (20.2%). Evidence of exposures to all the three viruses were detected in 14.4% of the animals. However, significant difference between cases (39.7%) and controls (22.9%) among cattle with multiple sero-positivity was noted only for BHV-1 and SBV (p0.001). Proportion of uterine infection (p=0.002) and fetal membrane retention (p=0.005) increased in BHV-1 seropositive animals, while repeat breeding was common (p=0.034) among BVDV exposed ones. Seropositive animals to any of the three viruses were detected in all sampled areas and the proportion of cattle with BHV-1 and SBV exposure history had a higher risk to at least one type of the reproductive disorders mentioned compared to the corresponding sero-negative groups.

This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence and identify risk factors associated with trematode infections in cattle in and around Bahir Dar, northwest Ethiopia. Fecal samples collected from randomly selected 369 cattle were examined using simple sedimentation technique for differential trematode eggs count. The animals were found shedding eggs of three groups of trematodes, namely Fasciola spp., paramphistomes and Schistosoma spp. The overall prevalence of trematodes was 61.0%, and specific prevalence for Fasciola, paramphistomes and Schistosoma was 20.1%, 48.5% and 16.5%, respectively. A substantial overlap was observed in the occurrence of Fasciola and paramphistomes. The prevalence of all the three trematodes identified in this study was significantly (P

A longitudinal study was conducted, from October 2008 to April 2009, on 188 kids born from flocks of 50 randomly selected households in Aneno and Edokontola villages in Adamitulu Jedokombolcha district, mid rift valley, Ethiopia. The aim of the study was to estimate pre-weaning mortality, identify associated factors and establish possible causes of death in goat kids. Data collected were used to evaluate the effect of sex, birth weight, parity, type of birth and some management practices on pre-weaning mortality. All the factors, except sex of the kid, significantly (at least P

IDENTIFICATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY OF INDOOR AIRBORNE BACTERIA IN SELECTED WARDS OF HAWASSA UNIVERSITY TEACHING AND REFERRAL HOSPITAL, SOUTH ETHIOPIA By: Diriba Leta Weleni Address: e-mail- Dirleta2009@gmail.com ABSTRACT Atmospheric pollution is one of the most pressing problems of our age. This pollution has now reached advanced level that poses a potential threat to the health and wellbeing of the population. Nosocomial infection (NI) is an infection occurring in a patient in a hospital or other health care facility in whom the infection was not present or incubating at the time of admission. One of the risk factors for such infection is bacterial contamination of hospital wards indoor air by bacteria. In view of this, the microbiological quality of air can be considered as a mirror of the hygienic condition for hospital wards. A cross sectional study was conducted from May to August 2011 in central triage, emergency, surgical outpatient, medical outpatient, gynecology and obstetrics, pediatrics, surgical inpatient and medical inpatient wards of Hawassa Teaching Referral Hospital to assess the bacteriological quality of indoor air and to determine the antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates. Air samples of the selected wards were collected using Settle Plate Method in the morning and in the afternoons and cultured aerobically. Of the 128 indoor air samples collected from the hospital rooms 124 (96.9%) were culture positive resulting in 153 isolate of nine spp/genera of bacteria. Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria accounted for 56.9 and 43.1% of the isolates respectively. The bacteria isolated were S. aureus (25.4%), Klebsiella spp. (24.8%), Proteus spp. (11.8%), coagulase negative streptococci (CNS) (10.5%), Serratia spp. (9.2%), Streptococci spp. (7.2%), E. coli (4.6%), Citrobacter (4.0%) and Enterobacter spp. (2.6%). No difference was observed in type and frequency of bacterial isolates among the different wards and between samples collected in the morning and in the afternoon (P >0.05). High level of antimicrobial resistance was observed among the isolates obtained in this study; 86.9% were resistant to 1 or more antimicrobials and 73.8% were multidrug resistant. Resistance was especially high against amoxicillin (64.9%) and penicillin (58.4%). Hospital management was advised to reduce foot trafficking and to periodically assess the quality of indoor air to identify and minimize/eliminate sources of microbial contamination. Key words: Bio-aerosols, Hawassa, Indoor environments, Nosocomial infections, Settle Plate method

A three-year longitudinal study was conducted to evaluate effects of strategic anthelmintic treatment regimes on age at first lambing (AFL), weight at first lambing (WFL) and lambing interval (LI) of 356 communally grazed ewes and 675 lambs owned by 10 smallholder farmers in the central highlands of Ethiopia. The ewes were stratified by weight and randomly allocated to three treatment groups as untreated control (TG1), twice-dosed per year (TG2) for both nematodes and trematodes in mid-January and mid-June and four-time-dosed per year (TG3) in June for nematodes, in August–September for nematodes and adult Fasciola, in November–December and January–February for immature flukes. The fixed effect of anthelmintic treatments, parity, season and year of lambing on AFL and LI was evaluated. Mean ± standard error (SE) of lambing interval was 292 ± 3 days. Both anthelmintic treatments (TG2 and TG3) shortened (P 0.05). Birth and lambing seasons of the ewe lamb had significant (P

A 3-year longitudinal study was conducted to evaluate the effects of strategic anthelmintic dosing on communally grazed village sheep in Gera Keya district in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Ewes were stratified by weight and randomly allocated to three treatment groups: untreated control (TG1), twice-dosed per year (TG2; for both nematodes and trematodes in mid-January and mid-June) and four-time-dosed per year (TG3; in June for nematodes, in August–September for nematodes and adult Fasciola, in November–December and January–February for immature liver flukes). The fixed effect of treatment, lamb sex, dam parity, season and year of birth on mortality from birth to 90, 180, 270 and 365 days was analyzed. Least square means of lamb mortality from birth to 90, 180, 270 and 365 days were 11.3, 16.8, 18.0 and 19.5%, respectively. Anthelmintic treatment had significant effect (P

A bacteriological study of Salmonella Gallinarum/Pullorum was conducted in intensively managed chickens in Hawassa, Ethiopia between November 2008 and May 2009. The objectives of the study were to estimate the bacteriological prevalence of S. Gallinarum/Pullorum in apparently healthy chickens and to assess the proportional morbidity/mortality from S. Gallinarum/Pullorum in sick/dead chickens. Cloacal swabs were collected from a total of 380 randomly selected chickens from 3 poultry farms to estimate the prevalence, whereas necropsy samples of liver, spleen and ceca were collected from 31 sick/dead chickens to estimate the proportional morbidity/mortality. The prevalence of Salmonella infection (S. Gallinaum/Pullorum) was 0.8% (3/380), while isolation was possible from 16.1% (5/31) sick/dead chickens. Only S. Gallinarum was isolated from cloacal swabs. Of the 6 isolates obtained from necropsy samples 1 was S. Pullorum and the rest 5 S. Gallinarum; and, 3 were from liver, 2 from cecum and 1 from spleen. It is concluded that salmonellosis is prevalent and fowl typhoid and pullorum disease have significant role in morbidity and mortality of intensively managed chickens in Hawassa. This result may indicate the challenge that the poultry industry of the country may face from S. Gallinarum/Pullorum in the future in its intensification. Concerted efforts, therefore, should be made at national and local levels to control the diseases. Keywords ∙ Ethiopia ∙ Hawassa ∙ Isolation ∙ Prevalence ∙ Salmonella Gallinarum- Pullorum

A survey aimed at determining the status of ticks in cattle, sheep and goats in Bedelle district (Southwestern Ethiopia) was carried out from November 2007 to April 2008. Out of the total 330 animals examined, 314 (95.2%) were found to be infested (harbouring of at least a single tick). High rates of infestations were recorded across all three host species. Factors like month of collection, age and sex of host species did not show significant association with infestation rates. A total of 5,507 ticks belonging to three genera (i.e. Amblyomma, Boophilus and Rhipicephalus) were collected during the study period of which six species were identified. The species of ticks encountered comprise of Amblyomma cohaerens (44.1%), Amblyomma variegatum (13.8%), Amblyomma lepidum (1.2%), Boophilus decoloratus (24.9%), Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi (14.3%) and Rhipicephalus lunulatus (1.7%). As about 86.7% (4,772) of the ticks were collected from cattle, it was recognised that this could be an evidence of host preference where cattle are serving as principal host while sheep and goats serve as alternative hosts. The role of ecological factors and little attention paid by livestock owners for treatment of animals against ticks are suggested to result in the abundance of ticks. Acaricide spraying should be strategically applied to control ticks. Better result could be achieved if an emphasis is being put on spraying cattle. Studies on tick-borne diseases, involvement of wildlife species as well as related factors are recommended as they may provide a valuable basis for designing and launching an all-round control programme in the country.

We used a partial-budget analysis to evaluate profitability of different management strategies of three genotypes of sheep in a 2 x 2 x 3 factorial experiment conducted at Debre Berhan research station in the central highlands of Ethiopia. This involved two anthelmintic-treatment levels (treated vs. non-treated), two supplementary nutrition levels (protein-energy supplementation yes/no) and three genotypes: indigenous Menz (n=40), 50% Awassi x 50% Menz crosses (n=38) and 75% Awassi x 25% Menz crosses (n=31). All sheep were exposed to natural sub-clinical helminthosis challenge. Supplemented sheep were offered a concentrate mix daily on an individual basis. Anthelmintic-treated sheep were drenched with fenbendazole against nematodes and with triclabendazole against trematodes. Data were collected during the experimental period (for 10 months from approximately 1 year of age) on feed intake, live weight, eggs per gram (EPG) of faeces, packed-cell volume (PCV), wool weight, and adult-worm burden. Actual market input and output prices were recorded. Supplemented sheep had significantly higher marginal profit (MP) per sheep than non-supplemented sheep (ETB 33 vs. 4). Likewise, anthelmintic treated sheep performed significantly better than their non-treated contemporaries (MP=ETB 28 vs. 8). The 75% Awassi crosses were least profitable.

The study was conducted from October 2013 to April 2014 in ELFORA export abattoir. The aim of this study was to identify and determine the major causes of organ and carcass condemnation and to estimate financial losses attributed to the condemned organs and carcasses from sheep and goats slaughtered in the abattoir. Standard antemortem and postmortem inspection procedures were followed throughout the study. Antemortem inspection was carried out in the lairage. There were higher record of nasal discharge, coughing, depression and lameness in both species. Postmortem examinations were conducted through their identification number to detect gross abnormalities and aesthetic reasons that rendered each organ to be rejected from the view of local and international markets. A total of 384 sheep and 384 goats slaughtered in the abattoir were included in the study. From these slaughtered animals, 768 organs and carcasses were examined. The study revealed that a total of 325 (42.3%) livers, 285 (37%) lungs, 40 (5.20%) hearts, 76 (9.90%) kidneys and 42 (5.46%) carcasses were rejected due to various causes. Stelesia hepatica (38.3%), pneumonia (60%), pericarditis (54.3%) and nephritis (35.3%) were found to be the major causes responsible for rejection of respective organs and carcass. The annual loss due to the rejection of organs and carcasses from the small ruminants slaughtered in ELFORA export abattoir is estimated to be 79,894.58 USD. In conclusions results of the present study justify immediate need of prevention of various pathogens that causes organ and carcass condemnation and pathological abnormalities through development of animal health delivery, enforcement of slaughter policy, education on animal welfare/humane slaughter, and training of slaughterhouse personnel on standard slaughter operations.

This study was conducted between November 2010 and April 2011 in 3 districts of Sidama Zone, southern Ethiopia, to estimate the prevalence and identify risk factors influencing occurrences of skin problems in donkeys. A total of randomly selected 384 male donkeys were clinically examined for skin problems. Hypothesized risk factors (age, body condition, use, feeding, housing at night, harness material, harness fitness) were either observed and recorded at the time of clinical examination or collected through semi-structured questionnaire. The overall prevalence of skin problems, taking into consideration harness sores, hyena bite, donkey bite, ectoparasites, epizootic lymphangitis, sarcoid, dermatophytosis, abscess, brand scar and ulcer due to Habronema was 91.9%. Sores were the most important (82.3%) skin problems followed by ectoparasites (22.1%). The ectoparasites identified in the study were lice (11.2%), ticks (10.4%) and mange mites (1.6%), with mixed infestation involving lice and ticks in 0.8% of the donkeys. Body condition, age, harness material and harness fitness were significantly associated with sore prevalence (P