Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Uveitis and blindness in horses after leptospirosis infection
By Gerras, J et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2024·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Uveitis and blindness in a closed herd of Equidae following leptospiral infection.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A group of horses, mules, and donkeys in North Carolina experienced an outbreak of leptospirosis, leading to uveitis (inflammation of the eye) in about one-third of the horses. Initially, many of these horses had normal vision, but over time, most lost their sight. Blood tests showed that the horses with uveitis had significantly higher levels of leptospira antibodies compared to those without eye problems. Interestingly, some horses with high antibody levels never developed any eye issues. This situation highlights the need for more research to understand why some animals are more susceptible to eye problems after exposure to leptospira.
People also search for: horse eye problems · uveitis in horses treatment · leptospirosis in equine · why is my horse blind · horse leptospira infection symptoms
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the ocular findings, chronology of disease, and serum leptospiral titers in a group of horses, mules, and donkeys following an outbreak of leptospirosis. METHODS: Fifty Equidae in central North Carolina had ophthalmic examinations and serum leptospiral microscopic agglutination test (MAT) titers performed every 3-6 months for 24 months followed by a final examination at 34 months. RESULTS: Throughout the nearly three-year study period, 17 horses (34%; 17/49 horses) developed signs of uveitis; 20 eyes (20/34; 58.8%) of these 17 horses were visual at the initial examination, but only four eyes (11.8%) remained visual at the final examination. Serum titers (serogroups Pomona and Bratislava) in horses with uveitis were significantly elevated compared to Equidae without uveitis (< 0.02). In the 32 horses, donkeys, and mules that did not develop uveitis, a subgroup of 11 horses and one donkey had negative or low serum leptospiral titers (titers ≤1:800) while a second subgroup of 16 horses, three mules, and one donkey had high leptospiral titers (>1:800) but never developed uveitis. Water sources in the pasture were found to have high levels of leptospira. CONCLUSION: Approximately 1/3 of horses on a farm exposed to Leptospira developed uveitis and blindness. Serum titers toPomona andBratislava were significantly elevated in horses with uveitis. However, despite exposure, some horses, even with very high serum titers, never developed ocular disease. These data indicates that further research is warranted to investigate the genetic and immunological aspects of the pathogenesis and susceptibility of leptospiral-associated uveitis.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39834922/