Equine keratomycosis in Japan.
Abstract: To describe the incidence, clinical progress, visual outcome, and laboratory findings of equine keratomycosis in Japan. Methods: Retrospective study of the medical records of horses clinically and mycologically diagnosed with keratomycosis at the Equine Hospitals of the Japan Racing Association from 2005 to 2011. Results: The diagnosis of keratomycosis was confirmed in eight horses (40.0% of the 20 horses with infectious keratitis from which fungi and/or bacteria were isolated). Fungi recovered from corneal swabs were identified as Aspergillus flavus (4), Aspergillus niger (1), Fusarium solani (1), and Mortierella wolfii (2). All horses were treated medically with topical antifungals, and one horse was also treated surgically. The median of treatment period was 40 days. Two horses were rendered blind in the affected eye and the others retained vision. Conclusions: Equine keratomycosis comprises a considerable portion of infectious keratitis in Japan, and the causative fungi that we isolated had been isolated previously from horses with keratomycosis in other regions with the exception of M. wolfii. Culture and cytological examination of corneal lesions should be immediately performed on eyes with signs of keratitis, particularly on those not improving with antibacterial medication, as early initiation of aggressive antifungal treatment tended to result in better outcome and shorter treatment period.
© 2012 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.
Publication Date: 2012-02-28 PubMed ID: 22372681DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-5224.2012.01004.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This study examines cases of equine keratomycosis in Japan, enumerates its incidence, describes its progression, and discusses the outcome and laboratory findings. The study highlights that the disease makes up a considerable part of infectious keratitis cases in Japan, and early detection and treatment generally lead to better outcomes and shorter treatment periods.
Methods and Findings
- The researchers conducted a retrospective study, examining the medical records of horses that have been diagnosed clinically and mycologically with keratomycosis from 2005 to 2011 at the Equine Hospitals of the Japan Racing Association.
- Out of 20 horses with infectious keratitis, keratomycosis was confirmed in eight of them. This represents 40.0% of the studied cases.
- The fungi isolated from corneal swabs were Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium solani, and Mortierella wolfii. These fungi types have previously been associated with keratomycosis in horses in other regions, with the exception of Mortierella wolfii.
Treatment and Outcomes
- All the diagnosed horses were treated with medical antifungals. One horse also received surgical intervention.
- The median treatment period spanned 40 days.
- Two of the horses ended up blind in the eye affected by keratomycosis, but the rest of the horses retained their vision.
- The study indicated an association between early initiation of aggressive antifungal treatment and improved outcomes and shorter treatment periods.
Conclusions and Recommendations
- Keratomycosis contributes significantly to cases of infectious keratitis in horses in Japan.
- Since early detection typically results in better outcomes, the study suggests immediate culture and cytological examination of corneal lesions when signs of keratitis appear, especially for those instances where there’s no improvement with antibacterial medication. The goal is to start aggressive antifungal treatment as early as possible.
- The study also brings to light the fact that M. wolfii, a new fungal pathogen, has been identified as a cause of keratomycosis in horses in Japan, which contributes to broader understanding of fungal infections in equine practice.
Cite This Article
APA
Wada S, Hobo S, Ode H, Niwa H, Moriyama H.
(2012).
Equine keratomycosis in Japan.
Vet Ophthalmol, 16(1), 1-9.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-5224.2012.01004.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Clinical Science and Pathobiology Division, Equine Research Institute ERI, The Japan Racing Association JRA, 321-4, Tokami-cho, Utsunomiya, Tochigi 320-0856, Japan. shinya_wada@jra.go.jp
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Aspergillosis / diagnosis
- Aspergillosis / epidemiology
- Aspergillosis / pathology
- Aspergillosis / veterinary
- Aspergillus flavus
- Aspergillus niger
- Cornea / microbiology
- Cornea / pathology
- Eye Infections, Fungal / diagnosis
- Eye Infections, Fungal / epidemiology
- Eye Infections, Fungal / pathology
- Eye Infections, Fungal / veterinary
- Female
- Fusariosis / diagnosis
- Fusariosis / epidemiology
- Fusariosis / pathology
- Fusariosis / veterinary
- Fusarium
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Incidence
- Japan / epidemiology
- Keratitis / diagnosis
- Keratitis / epidemiology
- Keratitis / pathology
- Keratitis / veterinary
- Male
- Mortierella
- Mucormycosis / diagnosis
- Mucormycosis / epidemiology
- Mucormycosis / pathology
- Mucormycosis / veterinary
- Retrospective Studies
Citations
This article has been cited 8 times.- Tahoun A, Elnafarawy HK, Elmahallawy EK, Abdelhady A, Rizk AM, El-Sharkawy H, Youssef MA, El-Khodery S, Ibrahim HMM. Epidemiological and Molecular Investigation of Ocular Fungal Infection in Equine from Egypt. Vet Sci 2020 Sep 8;7(3).
- Tamura N, Okano A, Kuroda T, Niwa H, Kusano K, Matsuda Y, Fukuda K, Mita H, Nagata S. Utility of systemic voriconazole in equine keratomycosis based on pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic analysis of tear fluid following oral administration. Vet Ophthalmol 2020 Jul;23(4):640-647.
- Mustikka MP, Grönthal TSC, Pietilä EM. Equine infectious keratitis in Finland: Associated microbial isolates and susceptibility profiles. Vet Ophthalmol 2020 Jan;23(1):148-159.
- Cullen M, Jacob ME, Cornish V, VanderSchel IQ, Cotter HVT, Cubeta MA, Carbone I, Gilger BC. Multi-locus DNA sequence analysis, antifungal agent susceptibility, and fungal keratitis outcome in horses from Southeastern United States. PLoS One 2019;14(3):e0214214.
- Seyedmousavi S, Bosco SMG, de Hoog S, Ebel F, Elad D, Gomes RR, Jacobsen ID, Jensen HE, Martel A, Mignon B, Pasmans F, Piecková E, Rodrigues AM, Singh K, Vicente VA, Wibbelt G, Wiederhold NP, Guillot J. Fungal infections in animals: a patchwork of different situations. Med Mycol 2018 Apr 1;56(suppl_1):165-187.
- Headley SA, de Carvalho PH, Cunha Filho LF, Yamamura AA, Okano W. Equine pulmonary aspergillosis with encephalitic, myocardial, and renal dissemination. Mycopathologia 2014 Feb;177(1-2):129-35.
- Stolle LM, Oltmanns H, Meißner J, Heun F, Schieder AK, Wolff HT, Ohnesorge B, Busse C. Polyhexanide, Povidone-Iodine, and Hypochlorous Acid Show High In Vitro Antimicrobial Efficacy Against Pathogens Commonly Associated With Equine Infectious Keratitis. Vet Ophthalmol 2026 Jan;29(1):e70141.
- Preston JF, Mustikka MP, Priestnall SL, Dunkel B, Fischer MC. Clinical features and outcomes of horses presenting with presumed equine immune mediated keratitis to two veterinary hospitals in the United Kingdom and Finland: 94 cases (2009-2021). Equine Vet J 2025 May;57(3):598-610.
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