Infectious ulcerative keratitis in horses, hogs, cats, and rabbits under Swedish conditions

Background

Rising antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to both human and animal health. This trend can be slowed through a more thoughtful and responsible use of antibiotics. Corneal ulcers are common in animals, for example, following trauma or as a complication of chronic eye diseases. The injury can cause severe pain and, in the worst cases, lead to impaired vision or even loss of the eye if treatment is not initiated in time. To reduce the risk of infection, antibiotics are often administered immediately upon detection of an eye injury. This is important because bacteria can otherwise worsen the condition and cause serious complications that affect the animal’s quality of life. When an infection is suspected, treatment must begin as soon as possible, and the veterinarian cannot wait for laboratory results. Instead, the choice of antibiotics is based on experience and knowledge of which bacteria typically cause the infection and how sensitive they are to various antibiotics. Today, this knowledge is primarily based on international studies regarding which microorganisms cause eye infections and how sensitive they are to various antibiotics. There is still a lack of corresponding studies from Sweden, which makes it difficult to adapt treatment to Swedish conditions.

This project aims to

• Identify the fungi and bacteria involved in corneal infections (infectious ulcerative keratitis) in Swedish horses, dogs, cats, and rabbits, and to evaluate the resistance profiles of these microorganisms.

• Evaluate the agreement between cytological examination and conventional culture of samples from corneal ulcers.

• Identify factors that may influence healing time, treatment duration, and prognosis in infectious ulcerative keratitis.

• Establish a scientific basis for future work on national guidelines for the treatment of infectious ulcerative keratitis.

Implementation of the project

Eye samples will be collected from Swedish horses, dogs, cats, and rabbits and analyzed for growth and antimicrobial resistance in both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, as well as fungi. The results from the cultures will be compared with corneal cytology, which is used clinically to obtain an initial assessment of the infection.

We will also study healing time and possible complications in dogs with indolent corneal ulcers treated with antibiotics and compare them with those treated only with lubricating eye drops.

Objectives

The overall aim of the project is to increase knowledge about which microorganisms cause eye infections in animals and their susceptibility to antibiotics. Greater knowledge facilitates the selection of the right treatment from the outset, which improves healing, reduces suffering for the animals, and increases the chances of preserving their vision. In the long term, more optimal treatment can help slow the development of antibiotic resistance. The results of the project will also serve as an important basis for future updates to Swedish guidelines on antibiotic use in veterinary ophthalmology. In this way, the research can contribute to more sustainable and effective animal healthcare.  

Collaborations

In addition to the participants from SLU, the project group also includes the following:

• Oskar Nilsson, Swedish Veterinary Agency (SVA)
• Sara Littorin, AniCura, Bagarmossen