Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Jan;23(1):135-140.
doi: 10.1111/vop.12698. Epub 2019 Jul 22.

Comparison of bacterial culture results collected via direct corneal ulcer vs conjunctival fornix sampling in canine eyes with presumed bacterial ulcerative keratitis

Candace R Auten  1 , Jennifer L Urbanz  1 , Darryl Dustin Dees  2
Affiliations

Comparison of bacterial culture results collected via direct corneal ulcer vs conjunctival fornix sampling in canine eyes with presumed bacterial ulcerative keratitis

Candace R Auten et al. Vet Ophthalmol. 2020 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: To compare aerobic bacterial culture results between samples obtained from the corneal ulcer versus lower conjunctival fornix in eyes with presumed bacterial ulcerative keratitis.

Animals studied: Fifty five client-owned dogs diagnosed with ulcerative keratitis.

Procedures: Ophthalmic examinations were performed on each dog including slit-lamp biomicroscopy and indirect ophthalmoscopy. Microbial swabs were collected by direct sampling of the infected corneal ulcer as well as the lower conjunctival fornix, of the same eye, using a sterile rayon-tipped swab. Samples were submitted to an outside reference laboratory for aerobic bacterial culture and sensitivity.

Results: One hundred twelve samples were obtained from 56 eyes (55 dogs). Sixty-eight samples yielded bacterial growth. Positive growth from both sites was obtained in 31 eyes (55%). Six eyes yielded bacterial growth from the conjunctival fornix but not from the cornea. No bacterial growth was obtained from either sampling site in 19 eyes. Overall, 31/56 (55%) corneal samples were positive and 37/56 (66%) conjunctival fornix samples were positive. Comparison of organisms isolated from the two collection sites of the same eye revealed an exact correlation in 42/56 (75%) eyes and differed in 14/56 (25%) eyes. Twenty different bacterial isolates were obtained from 68 positive samples. Gram-positive (71%) organisms were more common than Gram-negative (29%). The most commonly isolated organisms were Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (25%), beta-hemolytic Streptococcus spp. (23%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12%). Methicillin-resistant organisms were isolated in 9% of samples.

Conclusion: Sampling from the conjunctival fornix may be a suitable alternative to direct ulcer sampling in eyes with compromised corneal structural integrity.

Keywords: Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Staphylococcus pseudintermedius; canine; conjunctival fornix; microbial culture; ulcerative keratitis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

REFERENCES

    1. Olliver F. Bacterial corneal disease in dogs and cats. Clin Tech Small Anim Prac. 2003;18(3):193-198.
    1. Tolar EL, Hendrix DVH, Rohrbach BW, Plummer CE, Brooks DE, Gelatt KN. Evaluation of clinical characteristics and bacterial isolates in dogs with bacterial keratitis: 97 cases (1993-2003). J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2006;228(1):80-85.
    1. Ledbetter EC, Gilger BC. Diseases and surgery of the canine cornea and sclera. In: Gelatt KN, ed. Veterinary Ophthalmology (5th edn). Ames, Iowa: Wiley-Blackwell; 2013:976-1049.
    1. Papich MG. Antimicrobials, susceptibility testing, and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) in veterinary infection treatment. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Prac. 2013;43:1079-1089.
    1. Armstrong RA. The microbiology of the eye. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2000;20:429-441.

LinkOut - more resources