First Report of Acute Bilateral Hyphema in a Theileria equi-Infected Kathiawari Horse.

The research article presents a case of a young Kathiawari horse suffering from acute bilateral hyphema (blood in the eye) due to infection by Theileria equi, a parasite usually carried by ticks. This is the first occurrence of such a symptom being reported in equids (horse family) infected with this parasite.

Background

• Theileria equi is a parasite carried by ticks that can infect equids, a category that includes horses, donkeys, and zebras. Infections can often lead to a serious illness that can include symptoms such as fever, lethargy, increased heart rate and breath rate.
• This research presents a unique case where a 4-month-old Kathiawari filly showed a previously unreported symptom of T. equi infection – acute bilateral hyphema, which is presence of blood in both eyes.

Clinical Case and Diagnosis

• The young horse displayed signs of fever, lethargy, icterus (jaundice), increased heart rate and breath rate, and the notable bilateral hyphema.
• Lab tests showed the horse had anemia (lack of red blood cells) and thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), common symptoms of T. equi infection.
• Diagnosis of T. equi was confirmed using microscopic examination of blood smear stained by Giemsa stain, a common diagnostic tool to detect parasitic infections.

Treatment and Findings

• The team administered a specific therapy for T. equi along with supportive care. Following this, the horse showed remission of the clinical signs and the irregularities detected in laboratory profile.
• The main finding of this research is the first known association of acute bilateral hyphema with T. equi infection in equids.
• The research does not clarify whether the hyphema was a direct result of the T. equi infection or it was caused by some secondary complication. Still, its presence points to the possibility of T. equi infection leading to more diverse symptoms than previously thought.