A mote in the eye : insights on the diagnosis of corneal fungal disease in horses
Une paille dans l'œil : un aperçu du diagnostic des kératites fongiques chez le cheval
Abstract
Keratomycoses in horses is unfortunately common due to the equine anatomical predisposition, lifestyle, and behavior. Diagnosing and treating this condition can be challenging because eye trauma can facilitate the entry of various opportunistic molds and/or yeast species, and effective treatment relies on proper fungal identification. Here, we aimed to gather cases of fungal keratitis identified in our laboratory at the Veterinary School of Alfort (EnvA) from horse samples received over the past three years. Identification was performed using morphological analysis, MALDI-TOF, and molecular sequencing techniques. Our findings included fungi already associated with disease following eye injury (e.g., Aspergillus, Alternaria), as well as newly identified species. We also assessed the minimal inhibitory concentrations of antifungal agents, and the results highlight the need to better establish epidemiological cut-off values for less common pathogenic fungi.