Ruminants
Keratoconjunctivitis (Pink-eye)
Thelazia rhodesi (Eye Worms)
Figure 2: Presence of Thelazia.
Source: University of Sydney Centre for Veterinary Education (2012) Thelazia spp, Available at:http://vetbook.org/wiki/cow/index.php/Thelazia_spp (Accessed: 3rd June 2014).
Reference
Keratoconjunctivitis (Pink-eye)
Figure 1. Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis in a calf. Note the corneal vascularization, stromal abscess, and scars.
Source: Bruce H.G., Cheryl L.C. and Robert L.P. (2004) Veterinary ophthalmology essentials, 1st edn., Philadelphia: Elsevier.
- Found in sheep, goats and calves
- Primary infection occurs by Chlamydiae
- Chlamydiae: Gram negative, obligatory intra cellular parasites
- Cytoplasmatic inclusion bodies in corneal cells found in the infected animals
- Clinical signs
- Watery discharge from the eye
- Clouding of the cornea
- Secondary bacterial infection is common due to mechanical damage of the cornea and altered local defence system allowing potential pathogenic bacteria to contribute to secondary infections
- Treatment
- Vaccination
- Penicillins, spectinomycin or other aminocyclitols do not respond
- Tetracyclines respond
- High and steady plasma levels of suitable antibiotics for more than one week
Source: University of Sydney Centre for Veterinary Education (2012) Thelazia spp, Available at:http://vetbook.org/wiki/cow/index.php/Thelazia_spp (Accessed: 3rd June 2014).
- Parasite of domestic animals, wild animals and less commonly horses
- Occurs at surface of cornea, near nictitating membrane, in conjunctival sac and lachrymal duct
- Transmission occurs through route of flies that feed on animal's ocular secretions, tears and conjunctiva.
- Clinical signs
- Conjunctivitis
- Keratitis
- Lacrimation
- Ocular discharge
- Ulcers
- Corneal opacity
- Epiphora - excessive tears production
- Treatment
- Mechanical removal of worms using forceps after putting anesthesia
- Topical treatment with antiparasitic drugs applied to eyes directly
- Irrigate with aqueous solution of Boric powder
- Concurrent use with Ciplox-D (Ciprofloxacin and dexamethasone) eye drops every 8 hours for 5 days
- suppression of inflammation & secondary bacterial infections.
- Ivermectin to be injected subcutaneously @ 0.2mg/Kg bodyweight
- Fly control
Reference
- Bogaard A.E.J.M. (2011) 'Veterinary Quarterly', Inclusion keratoconjunctivitis ('pink eye') in sheep, 6(4), pp. 229 -235.
- Bruce H.G., Cheryl L.C. and Robert L.P. (2004) Veterinary ophthalmology essentials, 1st edn., Philadelphia: Elsevier.
- Deepthi B. and Yalavarthi C. (2012) 'Eye Worm infection in a Cattle - A Case Report', Veterinary World, 5(4), pp. 236-237.
- Naem S. (2006) 'Thelazia rhodesi (Spirurida, Thelaziidae), bovine eyeworm: morphological study by scanning electron microscopy', Parasitol Research, 100, pp. 855-860.
- Otranto D., Tarsitano E., Tarversa D., Giangaspero A., DeLuca F. and Puccini V. (2001) 'Differentiation among three species of bovine Thelazia (Nematoda: Thelaziidae) by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism of the first internal transcribed spacer ITS-1 (rDNA)', International Journal of Parasitlogy, 31(14), pp. 1693-1698.
- Otranto D. and Traversa D. (2005) 'Thelazia eyeworm: an original endo- and ecto- parasitic nematode' Trends in Parasitology, 21(4), pp. 1-4.
- University of Sydney Centre for Veterinary Education (2012) Thelazia spp, Available at:http://vetbook.org/wiki/cow/index.php/Thelazia_spp (Accessed: 3rd June 2014).
