Incidence of hoof lameness and associated staphylococcal wound contaminants among horses at Obollo-Afor Market in Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

Hoof is the commonest site of lameness in horses; the condition is exacerbated by infection resulting from contaminants  which are very common in their environment. This study determined the incidence of hoof lameness of horses in Obollo-Afor market. Relationship between lameness and sex, type of lameness, level of different limb involvements among the affected horses, presence of Staphylococcal contaminant and its phenotype identification as well as the antibiogram of the hoof wound isolates were determined. One hundred and seventy horses were presented for sale during the study period (May – July, 2012). The ratio of male to female was 7:3. Approximately, thirtyfour percent (34.1%) of both sexes have one type of  lameness or the other. In male and female population, 38.4% and 22.2% were affected by lameness, respectively. The major
types of lameness shown by the affected horses were either fore (male – 12.8%, female – 8.9%) or hind limbs (male – 22.4%, female – 11.1%) as well as wobbling (5.4% of both sexes). Staphylococcus species were isolated in 76% of the samples collected and of this number 22% was haemolytic while the rest were non-haemolytic isolates. Both haemolytic and non-haemolytic isolates were susceptible to Gentamicin, Tigecycline in that order.

Keywords: Horses, Hoof lameness, Staphylococcal infection, Haemolytic and non-haemolytic
isolates, Antibiotic susceptibility