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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, July 2000, p. 2731-2733, Vol. 38, No. 7
0095-1137/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Detection of Leptospira spp. in the Aqueous Humor of Horses with Naturally Acquired Recurrent Uveitis

Nick A. Faber,1,dagger Melissa Crawford,2 Rance B. LeFebvre,2,* Nedim C. Buyukmihci,3 John E. Madigan,4 and Neil H. Willits5

Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital,1 and Departments of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology,2 Surgery and Radiology,3 and Medicine and Epidemiology,4 School of Veterinary Medicine and Statistics,5 University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616

Received 12 November 1999/Returned for modification 26 February 2000/Accepted 30 April 2000

Leptospiral organisms have long been presumed to be associated with the presence of equine recurrent uveitis. This project was undertaken to determine the presence of Leptospira spp. in the aqueous humor of horses with uveitis to determine if there was an association with inflammation. Thirty horses were determined to have recurrent uveitis based on clinical evaluation or history. Sixteen horses were judged clinically and historically to be free of uveitis and were used as controls. Aqueous humor samples were cultured and evaluated by PCR for the presence of Leptospira DNA. Serum was collected and evaluated for the presence of antibodies against five serovars in a leptospirosis panel. Twenty-one of 30 horses with recurrent uveitis and one of 16 uveitis-free horses were positive by PCR for the presence of Leptospira DNA. Six of these 21 horses with uveitis were culture positive for leptospires from the aqueous humor. Serologic results did not correlate well with the presence of Leptospira DNA or organisms in the aqueous humor. Leptospira spp. are present in a high percentage of horses with naturally occurring recurrent uveitis.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Departments of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616. Phone: (530) 752-2788. Fax: (530) 752-3301. E-mail: rblefebvre{at}ucdavis.edu.

dagger Present address: Eye Care for Animals, Davis, CA 95616.


Journal of Clinical Microbiology, July 2000, p. 2731-2733, Vol. 38, No. 7
0095-1137/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.



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