Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse with eye discharge and worm in eye - what to know
By Peng, T L et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2019·Department of Paraclinical Studies·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: First report of equine Setaria digitata (von Linstow 1906) infestation in Malaysia.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old Thoroughbred cross mare was brought to the veterinary clinic because she had cloudy eyes and was producing a lot of eye discharge. After starting treatment with an eye ointment, the vet discovered a moving worm in her eye, which turned out to be a larva of a parasite called Setaria digitata. The worm was successfully removed through surgery, and tests confirmed it was indeed this specific parasite. This case marks the first time this type of eye infection caused by S. digitata has been reported in Malaysia, highlighting a new health concern for horses in the region.
People also search for: horse eye discharge treatment · cloudy eyes in horses · Setaria digitata in horses
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 on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31303218/