Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
First report of equine Setaria digitata (von Linstow 1906) infestation in Malaysia.
- Journal:
- Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports
- Year:
- 2019
- Authors:
- Peng, T L et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Paraclinical Studies
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A horse in Malaysia, specifically an 8-year-old Thoroughbred cross mare, was found to have a type of roundworm called Setaria digitata for the first time in the country. She was brought to the veterinary clinic because she had cloudy eyes and was producing a lot of eye discharge. After treating her with an eye ointment, the vet discovered a moving worm in her eye, which was later surgically removed. Tests confirmed that the worm was a larva of Setaria digitata, and this case shows that this parasite can cause eye infections in horses in Malaysia. The treatment was successful in removing the worm.
Abstract
The occurrence of Setaria digitata in a horse is reported for the first time in Malaysia. An 8-year-old Thoroughbred cross mare was referred to the University Veterinary Clinic with the primary complaint of corneal opacity and excessive eye discharge. After initial treatment with Terramycin eye ointment, corneal opacity cleared partially to reveal a moving thread-like cylindrical worm in the anterior chamber of the eye. The parasite was successfully removed surgically, and examination under the light microscope revealed that the isolated worm (length = 45 mm) was a 5th stage larva of S. digitata based on morphological criteria. Confirmation of the species of the worm was through molecular methods. The 12S rRNA gene was PCR-amplified, and the purified amplicon was directly sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the isolated roundworm showed 100% sequence similarity with that of S. digitata in NCBI GenBank database (Accession no.: KY284626.1). This report is the first confirmed case of equine ocular setariasis by S. digitata in Malaysia. The current study provides evidence that S. digitata is an etiological agent of ocular infection and its presence in Malaysia.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31303218/