Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Skin and eye habronemosis in horses treated in Brazil
By Américo, Larissa et al.·Published in Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria·2024·Laborató·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cutaneous and conjunctival habronemosis in horses treated at the Veterinary Hospital of the Santa Catarina State University, Brazil.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A group of horses in Brazil developed skin and eye problems due to a parasitic infection called habronemosis, which is caused by larvae from certain flies. The horses had painful, ulcerated lesions, especially around their eyes, and most cases were seen in older horses during the autumn months. Veterinarians treated these horses with specific medications and cleaned their wounds. This study highlights the importance of recognizing and treating this condition in horses, especially in regions where it hasn't been commonly reported before.
People also search for: horse eye problems · summer sores in horses · habronemosis treatment for horses
Abstract
Habronemosis, also known as habronemiasis or habronematidosis, is a parasitic disease of equids caused by the larval stages of Habronematidae nematodes (Habronema muscae, Habronema microstoma, and Draschia megastoma) that are transmitted by muscid flies. The presence of aberrant infective larvae in the cutaneous and conjunctival tissues of these hosts results in granulomatous, exudative, and ulcerated lesions, also known as "summer sores." In this study, we present a retrospective analysis of habronemosis cases in horses from the municipality of Lages, located on the Santa Catarina Plateau, a region with high altitudes and a temperate climate that differs from regions of Brazil where such parasitosis usually occurs. The equids were examined from 2008 to 2020 at the Veterinary Hospital of Santa Catarina State University. Sixteen patients were diagnosed and treated using macrocyclic lactones and wound cleaning. Most cases were recorded in autumn in horses (10/16, 62.5%) over 15 years of age (11/16, 68.8%), and the lesions were more frequently located in the conjunctiva (11/16, 68.8%). In scientific dissemination media, this is the first report of habronemosis on the Santa Catarina Plateau, Brazil. This information will contribute to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of skin diseases in horses in this region.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39258599/