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Veterinary sciences2021; 8(4); doi: 10.3390/vetsci8040055

First Molecular Confirmation of Equine Ocular Setaria digitata in China.

Abstract: A 5-year-old Mongolian mare (Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) was observed to have corneal opacity and excessive ocular discharge. An ophthalmic examination revealed a moving thread-like cylindrical worm in the anterior chamber of the right eye. The parasite was successfully removed surgically. The worm was observed under light microscopy and confirmed as Setaria digitata by 12S rRNA gene amplification and sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated similarity with Setaria digitata in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank database isolated from other Asian countries. This report is the first confirmed case of equine ocular setariasis by molecular diagnosis in China, which may indicate its presence in livestock and promote research on its epidemiology.
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Publication Date: 2021-03-28 PubMed ID: 33800678PubMed Central: PMC8066632DOI: 10.3390/vetsci8040055Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 focuses on the first documented case of ‘Setaria digitata’, a parasitic worm, found in the eyes of a Mongolian mare in China, confirmed through molecular diagnostics.

Background

  • The case was seen in a 5-year-old Mongolian mare that showed signs of corneal opacity and excessive ocular discharge.
  • Upon examination, a thread-like cylindrical worm was detected in the anterior chamber of the mare’s right eye.
  • This paper marks the first molecular confirmation of equine ocular ‘Setaria digitata’ in China.

Methodology

  • The worm was surgically removed and then observed under light microscopy.
  • Identification and confirmation of the worm were done using a technique called 12S rRNA gene amplification and sequencing.
  • 12S rRNA gene amplification is a method used in molecular biology to generate copies of a specific DNA sequence.
  • In this case, it was used to confirm the identity of the worm.

Findings

  • Phylogenetic analysis, the study of evolutionary relationships between different species, showed that this worm was similar to ‘Setaria digitata’ found in other parts of Asia.
  • These findings were backed up by comparison with samples stored in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank database.

Implications

  • The discovery of this infection in China indicates that the parasite may also be present in other livestock in the area.
  • This acts as a prompt to encourage further research into the epidemiology of this parasite, which studies its distribution, patterns, causes, and effects on horse populations.

Cite This Article

APA
Yu F, Liu B, Chen S, Yi Z, Liu X, Zhu Y, Li J. (2021). First Molecular Confirmation of Equine Ocular Setaria digitata in China. Vet Sci, 8(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci8040055

Publication

Veterinary sciences
ISSN: 2306-7381
NlmUniqueID: 101680127
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 8
Issue: 4

Researcher Affiliations

Yu, Feng
  • Equine Clinical Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100093, China.
Liu, Bo
  • Equine Clinical Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100093, China.
Chen, Shulei
  • Equine Clinical Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100093, China.
Yi, Ziwen
  • Equine Clinical Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100093, China.
Liu, Xianyong
  • Department of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
Zhu, Yiping
  • Equine Clinical Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100093, China.
Li, Jing
  • Equine Clinical Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100093, China.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 5 times.
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