FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
PloS one2021; 16(2); e0246537; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246537

Evaluation of the ocular surface mycobiota in clinically normal horses.

Abstract: The eye is host to myriad bacterial, fungal, and viral organisms that likely influence ocular surface physiology in normal and diseased states. The ocular surface mycobiota of horses has not yet been described using NGS techniques. This study aimed to characterize the ocular surface fungal microbiota (mycobiota) in healthy horses in 2 environmental conditions (stalled versus pasture). Conjunctival swabs of both eyes were obtained from 7 adult stallions stabled in an open-air pavilion and 5 adult mares living on pasture. Genomic DNA was extracted from ocular surface swabs and sequenced using primers that target the Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1) region of the fungal genome on an Illumina platform. Sequences were processed using Quantitative Insights Into Molecular Ecology (QIIME 2.0) and taxonomy assigned with the Findley et al. 2013 ITS1 database. The most abundant genera identified were Leptosphaerulina (22.7%), unclassified Pleosporaceae (17.3%), Cladosporium (16.2%), Alternaria (9.8%), unclassified Pleosporales (4.4%), unclassified Montagnulaceae (2.9%), Fusarium (2.5%), and Pestalotiopsis (1.4%). Fungal community composition (Jaccard, R = 0.460, p = 0.001) and structure (Bray-Curtis, R = 0.811, p = 0.001) were significantly different between pastured mares and stabled stallions. The ocular surface of pastured mares had significantly increased fungal species richness and diversity compared to stabled stallions (Shannon p = 0.0224, Chao1 p = 0.0118, Observed OTUs p = 0.0241). Relative abundances of Aspergillus (p = 0.005) and Alternaria spp. (p = 0.002) were significantly increased in the mycobiota of pastured mares. This is the first report to describe the mycobiota of the equine ocular surface. Environmental factors such as housing influence the composition, structure, and richness of the equine ocular surface mycobiota.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2021-02-04 PubMed ID: 33539431PubMed Central: PMC7861450DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246537Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research investigated and characterized the fungal microbiota (or mycobiota) present on the surface of healthy horse eyes, and showed differences in species complexity and diversity depending on whether the horses were pasture-raised or stabled.

Study Design and Methodology

In the study, the researchers collected conjunctival swabs from both eyes of seven adult stallions housed in an open-air pavilion and five adult mares living on pasture. They then extracted genomic DNA from these swabs and sequenced them using primers specifically designed to target a certain region of the fungal genome, the Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1).
The following software and database were used for processing the sequences and assigning taxonomy:

  • Quantitative Insights Into Molecular Ecology (QIIME 2.0)
  • The Findley et al. 2013 ITS1 database

Results of the Study

The sequencing process led to the identification of several fungal genera, with Leptosphaerulina, unclassified Pleosporaceae, Cladosporium, Alternaria being the most abundant. The results showcased significant differences in the fungal community composition and structure between the pasture-raised mares and the stabled stallions. Additionally, pastured mares had greater fungal species richness and diversity on the surface of their eyes compared to stabled stallions. The relative abundances of Aspergillus and Alternaria species were significantly higher in the mycobiota of pastured mares.

Significance of the Study

This is the first study to describe the mycobiota (fungal microbiota) present on the surface of horse eyes (equine ocular surface). The results suggest that environmental factors such as the horse’s living conditions (pasture versus stable) significantly influence the composition, structure, and complexity of the horse’s ocular surface mycobiota. This can help in understanding the eye health of horses and how it can be influenced by their environment.

Cite This Article

APA
Walsh ML, Meason-Smith C, Arnold C, Suchodolski JS, Scott EM. (2021). Evaluation of the ocular surface mycobiota in clinically normal horses. PLoS One, 16(2), e0246537. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246537

Publication

PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
NlmUniqueID: 101285081
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 16
Issue: 2
Pages: e0246537
PII: e0246537

Researcher Affiliations

Walsh, Mary L
  • Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
Meason-Smith, Courtney
  • Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
Arnold, Carolyn
  • Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
Suchodolski, Jan S
  • Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
Scott, Erin M
  • Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.

MeSH Terms

  • Alternaria / isolation & purification
  • Animals
  • Aspergillus / isolation & purification
  • Cladosporium / isolation & purification
  • Eye / microbiology
  • Female
  • Fusarium / isolation & purification
  • Horses / microbiology
  • Male
  • Pestalotiopsis / isolation & purification

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

References

This article includes 51 references
  1. Samuelson DA, Andresen TL, Gwin RM. Conjunctival fungal flora in horses, cattle, dogs, and cats.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1984 May 15;184(10):1240-2.
    pubmed: 6539761
  2. Brooks DE, Plummer CE, Mangan BG, Ben-Shlomo G. Equine subepithelial keratomycosis.. Vet Ophthalmol 2013 Mar;16(2):93-6.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1463-5224.2012.01031.xpubmed: 22583748google scholar: lookup
  3. Pearce JW, Giuliano EA, Moore CP. In vitro susceptibility patterns of Aspergillus and Fusarium species isolated from equine ulcerative keratomycosis cases in the midwestern and southern United States with inclusion of the new antifungal agent voriconazole.. Vet Ophthalmol 2009 Sep-Oct;12(5):318-24.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1463-5224.2009.00721.xpubmed: 19751493google scholar: lookup
  4. Moore CP, Collins BK, Fales WH. Antibacterial susceptibility patterns for microbial isolates associated with infectious keratitis in horses: 63 cases (1986-1994).. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1995 Oct 1;207(7):928-33.
    pubmed: 7559027
  5. Moore CP, Fales WH, Whittington P, Bauer L. Bacterial and fungal isolates from Equidae with ulcerative keratitis.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1983 Mar 15;182(6):600-3.
    pubmed: 6833103
  6. Sherman AB, Clode AB, Gilger BC. Impact of fungal species cultured on outcome in horses with fungal keratitis.. Vet Ophthalmol 2017 Mar;20(2):140-146.
    doi: 10.1111/vop.12381pubmed: 27061354google scholar: lookup
  7. 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.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214214pmc: PMC6438541pubmed: 30921394google scholar: lookup
  8. Whitley RD, Moore CP. Microbiology of the equine eye in health and disease.. Vet Clin North Am Large Anim Pract 1984 Nov;6(3):451-66.
    doi: 10.1016/s0196-9846(17)30003-4pubmed: 6393541google scholar: lookup
  9. Voelter-Ratson K, Monod M, Unger L, Spiess BM, Pot SA. Evaluation of the conjunctival fungal flora and its susceptibility to antifungal agents in healthy horses in Switzerland.. Vet Ophthalmol 2014 Jul;17 Suppl 1:31-6.
    doi: 10.1111/vop.12088pubmed: 23910390google scholar: lookup
  10. Gemensky-Metzler AJ, Wilkie DA, Kowalski JJ, Schmall LM, Willis AM, Yamagata M. Changes in bacterial and fungal ocular flora of clinically normal horses following experimental application of topical antimicrobial or antimicrobial-corticosteroid ophthalmic preparations.. Am J Vet Res 2005 May;66(5):800-11.
    doi: 10.2460/ajvr.2005.66.800pubmed: 15934607google scholar: lookup
  11. Andrew SE, Nguyen A, Jones GL, Brooks DE. Seasonal effects on the aerobic bacterial and fungal conjunctival flora of normal thoroughbred brood mares in Florida.. Vet Ophthalmol 2003 Mar;6(1):45-50.
    doi: 10.1046/j.1463-5224.2003.00265.xpubmed: 12641842google scholar: lookup
  12. Hampson ECGM, Gibson JS, Barot M, Shapter FM, Greer RM. Identification of bacterial and fungi samples from the conjunctival surface of normal horses in South-East Queensland, Australia.. Vet Ophthalmol 2018;00:1–11.
  13. Johns IC, Baxter K, Booler H, Hicks C, Menzies-Gow N. Conjunctival bacterial and fungal flora in healthy horses in the UK.. Vet Ophthalmol 2011 May;14(3):195-9.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1463-5224.2010.00867.xpubmed: 21521444google scholar: lookup
  14. Khosravi AR, Nikaein D, Sharifzadeh A, Gharagozlou F. Ocular fungal flora from healthy horses in Iran.. J Mycol Med 2014 Mar;24(1):29-33.
    doi: 10.1016/j.mycmed.2013.10.006pubmed: 24411178google scholar: lookup
  15. de Sousa ME, Araújo MA, Mota RA, Porto WJ, Souza AK, Dos Santos JL, da Silva PP. Fungal microbiota from ocular conjuctiva of clinically healthy horses belonging to the military police cavalry of alagoas.. Braz J Microbiol 2011 Jul;42(3):1151-5.
    doi: 10.1590/S1517-838220110003000038pmc: PMC3768800pubmed: 24031735google scholar: lookup
  16. Whitley DR, Burgess EC, Moore CP. Microbial Isolates of the Normal Equine Eye. Equine Vet J 1983;suppl 2:138–139.
  17. Moore CP, Heller N, Majors LJ, Whitley RD, Burgess EC, Weber J. Prevalence of ocular microorganisms in hospitalized and stabled horses.. Am J Vet Res 1988 Jun;49(6):773-7.
    pubmed: 3400913
  18. Bharathi MJ, Ramakrishnan R, Vasu S, Meenakshi R, Palaniappan R. Epidemiological characteristics and laboratory diagnosis of fungal keratitis. A three-year study.. Indian J Ophthalmol 2003 Dec;51(4):315-21.
    pubmed: 14750619
  19. Kumari N, Xess A, Shahi SK. A study of keratomycosis: our experience.. Indian J Pathol Microbiol 2002 Jul;45(3):299-302.
    pubmed: 12785170
  20. Dong Q, Brulc JM, Iovieno A, Bates B, Garoutte A, Miller D, Revanna KV, Gao X, Antonopoulos DA, Slepak VZ, Shestopalov VI. Diversity of bacteria at healthy human conjunctiva.. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2011 Jul 20;52(8):5408-13.
    doi: 10.1167/iovs.10-6939pmc: PMC3176057pubmed: 21571682google scholar: lookup
  21. Willcox MD. Characterization of the normal microbiota of the ocular surface.. Exp Eye Res 2013 Dec;117:99-105.
    doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2013.06.003pubmed: 23797046google scholar: lookup
  22. Doan T, Akileswaran L, Andersen D, Johnson B, Ko N, Shrestha A, Shestopalov V, Lee CS, Lee AY, Van Gelder RN. Paucibacterial Microbiome and Resident DNA Virome of the Healthy Conjunctiva.. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2016 Oct 1;57(13):5116-5126.
    doi: 10.1167/iovs.16-19803pmc: PMC5054734pubmed: 27699405google scholar: lookup
  23. Huang Y, Yang B, Li W. Defining the normal core microbiome of conjunctival microbial communities.. Clin Microbiol Infect 2016 Jul;22(7):643.e7-643.e12.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2016.04.008pubmed: 27102141google scholar: lookup
  24. Ozkan J, Nielsen S, Diez-Vives C, Coroneo M, Thomas T, Willcox M. Temporal Stability and Composition of the Ocular Surface Microbiome.. Sci Rep 2017 Aug 29;7(1):9880.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-01710494-9pmc: PMC5575025pubmed: 28852195google scholar: lookup
  25. Scott EM, Arnold C, Dowell S, Suchodolski JS. Evaluation of the bacterial ocular surface microbiome in clinically normal horses before and after treatment with topical neomycin-polymyxin-bacitracin.. PLoS One 2019;14(4):e0214877.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214877pmc: PMC6447178pubmed: 30943258google scholar: lookup
  26. Darden JE, Scott EM, Arnold C, Scallan EM, Simon BT, Suchodolski JS. Evaluation of the bacterial ocular surface microbiome in clinically normal cats before and after treatment with topical erythromycin.. PLoS One 2019;14(10):e0223859.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223859pmc: PMC6788832pubmed: 31603921google scholar: lookup
  27. Leis ML, Costa MO. Initial description of the core ocular surface microbiome in dogs: Bacterial community diversity and composition in a defined canine population.. Vet Ophthalmol 2019 May;22(3):337-344.
    doi: 10.1111/vop.12599pubmed: 30095241google scholar: lookup
  28. Rogers CM, Scott EM, Sarawichitr B, Arnold C, Suchodolski JS. Evaluation of the bacterial ocular surface microbiome in ophthalmologically normal dogs prior to and following treatment with topical neomycin-polymyxin-bacitracin.. PLoS One 2020;15(6):e0234313.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234313pmc: PMC7282667pubmed: 32516320google scholar: lookup
  29. Findley K, Oh J, Yang J, Conlan S, Deming C, Meyer JA, Schoenfeld D, Nomicos E, Park M, Kong HH, Segre JA. Topographic diversity of fungal and bacterial communities in human skin.. Nature 2013 Jun 20;498(7454):367-70.
    doi: 10.1038/nature12171pmc: PMC3711185pubmed: 23698366google scholar: lookup
  30. Shivaji S, Jayasudha R, Sai Prashanthi G, Kalyana Chakravarthy S, Sharma S. The Human Ocular Surface Fungal Microbiome.. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2019 Jan 2;60(1):451-459.
    doi: 10.1167/iovs.18-26076pubmed: 30703210google scholar: lookup
  31. Wang Y, Chen H, Xia T, Huang Y. Characterization of fungal microbiota on normal ocular surface of humans.. Clin Microbiol Infect 2020 Jan;26(1):123.e9-123.e13.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2019.05.011pubmed: 31128284google scholar: lookup
  32. Meason-Smith C, Diesel A, Patterson AP, Older CE, Johnson TJ, Mansell JM, Suchodolski JS, Rodrigues Hoffmann A. Characterization of the cutaneous mycobiota in healthy and allergic cats using next generation sequencing.. Vet Dermatol 2017 Feb;28(1):71-e17.
    doi: 10.1111/vde.12373pubmed: 27553477google scholar: lookup
  33. Older CE, Diesel AB, Lawhon SD, Queiroz CRR, Henker LC, Rodrigues Hoffmann A. The feline cutaneous and oral microbiota are influenced by breed and environment.. PLoS One 2019;14(7):e0220463.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220463pmc: PMC6667137pubmed: 31361788google scholar: lookup
  34. Meason-Smith C, Diesel A, Patterson AP, Older CE, Mansell JM, Suchodolski JS, Rodrigues Hoffmann A. What is living on your dog's skin? Characterization of the canine cutaneous mycobiota and fungal dysbiosis in canine allergic dermatitis.. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2015 Dec;91(12).
    doi: 10.1093/femsec/fiv139pmc: PMC4657189pubmed: 26542075google scholar: lookup
  35. Schoch CL, Seifert KA, Huhndorf S, Robert V, Spouge JL, Levesque CA, Chen W. Nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region as a universal DNA barcode marker for Fungi.. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012 Apr 17;109(16):6241-6.
    doi: 10.1073/pnas.1117018109pmc: PMC3341068pubmed: 22454494google scholar: lookup
  36. Bolyen E, Rideout JR, Dillon MR, Bokulich NA, Abnet CC, Al-Ghalith GA, Alexander H, Alm EJ, Arumugam M, Asnicar F, Bai Y, Bisanz JE, Bittinger K, Brejnrod A, Brislawn CJ, Brown CT, Callahan BJ, Caraballo-Rodríguez AM, Chase J, Cope EK, Da Silva R, Diener C, Dorrestein PC, Douglas GM, Durall DM, Duvallet C, Edwardson CF, Ernst M, Estaki M, Fouquier J, Gauglitz JM, Gibbons SM, Gibson DL, Gonzalez A, Gorlick K, Guo J, Hillmann B, Holmes S, Holste H, Huttenhower C, Huttley GA, Janssen S, Jarmusch AK, Jiang L, Kaehler BD, Kang KB, Keefe CR, Keim P, Kelley ST, Knights D, Koester I, Kosciolek T, Kreps J, Langille MGI, Lee J, Ley R, Liu YX, Loftfield E, Lozupone C, Maher M, Marotz C, Martin BD, McDonald D, McIver LJ, Melnik AV, Metcalf JL, Morgan SC, Morton JT, Naimey AT, Navas-Molina JA, Nothias LF, Orchanian SB, Pearson T, Peoples SL, Petras D, Preuss ML, Pruesse E, Rasmussen LB, Rivers A, Robeson MS 2nd, Rosenthal P, Segata N, Shaffer M, Shiffer A, Sinha R, Song SJ, Spear JR, Swafford AD, Thompson LR, Torres PJ, Trinh P, Tripathi A, Turnbaugh PJ, Ul-Hasan S, van der Hooft JJJ, Vargas F, Vázquez-Baeza Y, Vogtmann E, von Hippel M, Walters W, Wan Y, Wang M, Warren J, Weber KC, Williamson CHD, Willis AD, Xu ZZ, Zaneveld JR, Zhang Y, Zhu Q, Knight R, Caporaso JG. Reproducible, interactive, scalable and extensible microbiome data science using QIIME 2.. Nat Biotechnol 2019 Aug;37(8):852-857.
    doi: 10.1038/s41587-019-0209-9pmc: PMC7015180pubmed: 31341288google scholar: lookup
  37. Segata N, Izard J, Waldron L, Gevers D, Miropolsky L, Garrett WS, Huttenhower C. Metagenomic biomarker discovery and explanation.. Genome Biol 2011 Jun 24;12(6):R60.
    doi: 10.1186/gb-2011-12-6-r60pmc: PMC3218848pubmed: 21702898google scholar: lookup
  38. Hochberg Y, Benjamini Y. More powerful procedures for multiple significance testing.. Stat Med 1990 Jul;9(7):811-8.
    doi: 10.1002/sim.4780090710pubmed: 2218183google scholar: lookup
  39. Lu LJ, Liu J. Human Microbiota and Ophthalmic Disease.. Yale J Biol Med 2016 Sep;89(3):325-330.
    pmc: PMC5045141pubmed: 27698616
  40. Prashanthi GS, Jayasudha R, Chakravarthy SK, Padakandla SR, SaiAbhilash CR, Sharma S, Bagga B, Murthy SI, Garg P, Shivaji S. Alterations in the Ocular Surface Fungal Microbiome in Fungal Keratitis Patients.. Microorganisms 2019 Sep 2;7(9).
    pmc: PMC6780152pubmed: 31480776doi: 10.3390/microorganisms7090309google scholar: lookup
  41. Ge C, Wei C, Yang BX, Cheng J, Huang YS. Conjunctival microbiome changes associated with fungal keratitis: metagenomic analysis.. Int J Ophthalmol 2019;12(2):194-200.
    doi: 10.18240/ijo.2019.02.02pmc: PMC6376244pubmed: 30809472google scholar: lookup
  42. McDermott AM. Antimicrobial compounds in tears.. Exp Eye Res 2013 Dec;117:53-61.
    doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2013.07.014pmc: PMC3844110pubmed: 23880529google scholar: lookup
  43. Shade A, Handelsman J. Beyond the Venn diagram: the hunt for a core microbiome.. Environ Microbiol 2012 Jan;14(1):4-12.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2011.02585.xpubmed: 22004523google scholar: lookup
  44. Badotti F, de Oliveira FS, Garcia CF, Vaz AB, Fonseca PL, Nahum LA, Oliveira G, Góes-Neto A. Effectiveness of ITS and sub-regions as DNA barcode markers for the identification of Basidiomycota (Fungi).. BMC Microbiol 2017 Feb 23;17(1):42.
    doi: 10.1186/s12866-016-0921-2pmc: PMC5322588pubmed: 28228107google scholar: lookup
  45. Raja HA, Miller AN, Pearce CJ, Oberlies NH. Fungal Identification Using Molecular Tools: A Primer for the Natural Products Research Community.. J Nat Prod 2017 Mar 24;80(3):756-770.
    doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.6b01085pmc: PMC5368684pubmed: 28199101google scholar: lookup
  46. Usyk M, Zolnik CP, Patel H, Levi MH, Burk RD. Novel ITS1 Fungal Primers for Characterization of the Mycobiome.. mSphere 2017 Nov-Dec;2(6).
    doi: 10.1128/mSphere.00488-17pmc: PMC5729218pubmed: 29242834google scholar: lookup
  47. Korbelik J, Singh A, Rousseau J, Weese JS. Analysis of the otic mycobiota in dogs with otitis externa compared to healthy individuals.. Vet Dermatol 2018 Oct;29(5):417-e138.
    doi: 10.1111/vde.12665pubmed: 30088292google scholar: lookup
  48. Bradley CW, Lee FF, Rankin SC, Kalan LR, Horwinski J, Morris DO, Grice EA, Cain CL. The otic microbiota and mycobiota in a referral population of dogs in eastern USA with otitis externa.. Vet Dermatol 2020 Jun;31(3):225-e49.
    doi: 10.1111/vde.12826pubmed: 31960536google scholar: lookup
  49. Gloor GB, Macklaim JM, Pawlowsky-Glahn V, Egozcue JJ. Microbiome Datasets Are Compositional: And This Is Not Optional.. Front Microbiol 2017;8:2224.
    doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02224pmc: PMC5695134pubmed: 29187837google scholar: lookup
  50. Salter SJ, Cox MJ, Turek EM, Calus ST, Cookson WO, Moffatt MF, Turner P, Parkhill J, Loman NJ, Walker AW. Reagent and laboratory contamination can critically impact sequence-based microbiome analyses.. BMC Biol 2014 Nov 12;12:87.
    doi: 10.1186/s12915-014-0087-zpmc: PMC4228153pubmed: 25387460google scholar: lookup
  51. Eisenhofer R, Minich JJ, Marotz C, Cooper A, Knight R, Weyrich LS. Contamination in Low Microbial Biomass Microbiome Studies: Issues and Recommendations.. Trends Microbiol 2019 Feb;27(2):105-117.
    doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2018.11.003pubmed: 30497919google scholar: lookup

Citations

This article has been cited 5 times.
  1. Julien ME, Shih JB, Correa Lopes B, Vallone LV, Suchodolski JS, Pilla R, Scott EM. Alterations of the bacterial ocular surface microbiome are found in both eyes of horses with unilateral ulcerative keratitis. PLoS One 2023;18(9):e0291028.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291028pubmed: 37682941google scholar: lookup
  2. Santibáñez R, Lara F, Barros TM, Mardones E, Cuadra F, Thomson P. Ocular Microbiome in a Group of Clinically Healthy Horses. Animals (Basel) 2022 Apr 7;12(8).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12080943pubmed: 35454190google scholar: lookup
  3. Martin de Bustamante MG, Plummer CE, Caddey B, Gomez DE. The effect of topical antibiotic or antibiotic-corticosteroid treatment on the ocular surface microbiota of healthy horses. Front Microbiol 2025;16:1535095.
    doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1535095pubmed: 40831630google scholar: lookup
  4. Płoneczka-Janeczko K, Armstrong E, Siemieniuch-Tartanus M, Magdziarz M. Remodelling of the healthy foal's conjunctival microbiome in the first two months of life. J Vet Res 2025 Mar;69(1):131-140.
    doi: 10.2478/jvetres-2025-0001pubmed: 40144056google scholar: lookup
  5. Chow L, Flaherty E, Pezzanite L, Williams M, Dow S, Wotman K. Impact of Equine Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia on Interactions between Ocular Transcriptome and Microbiome. Vet Sci 2024 Apr 7;11(4).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci11040167pubmed: 38668434google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,780 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.