Conjunctival Cytology and Bacterial Isolation from Arabian Horses with Conjunctivitis in Saudi Arabia

Al-mashabirah, Zainab and Al-shehab, Maryam and Alsalman, Mohammad and Salouci, Moustafa and Asvad, Mohammad and Elbager, Khalid and Shawaf, Turke (2026) Conjunctival Cytology and Bacterial Isolation from Arabian Horses with Conjunctivitis in Saudi Arabia. World's Veterinary Journal. 533 - 540. ISSN 23224568

Text WVJ16(2)533-540,2026.pdf - Published Version Download (393kB)

Abstract

Cytological and bacterial analyses are vital for diagnosing equine conjunctival diseases. These analyses facilitate accurate pathogen detection and enable targeted treatments. The present study aimed to describe and compare the conjunctival cytology and bacterial flora of clinically healthy Arabian horses and those with conjunctivitis in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Eighteen Arabian horses, including 5 healthy and 13 with conjunctivitis, were referred to King Faisal Hospital and examined. Healthy horses were distinguished from those with conjunctivitis through case history and an ocular examination. Conjunctival swabs were collected for cytological analysis and for aerobic bacterial culture and identification, with Diff-Quik staining. Differential cell counts were compared across the groups, and the findings were correlated with bacterial isolates. Biochemical identification of bacterial isolates was performed using conventional methods, including Gram staining and catalase and oxidase tests. Healthy horses exhibited a cytological profile primarily composed of superficial epithelial cells (59 ± 12.0), with only a small number of inflammatory cells, including neutrophils and eosinophils. In contrast, horses with conjunctivitis exhibited a significant decrease in superficial epithelial cells (28 ± 17) and a significant increase in basal cells (5 ± 3.5). Conjunctival samples exhibited marked neutrophilia (32 ± 12.5) and a significant increase in eosinophils (12 ± 9.5) compared to healthy controls, indicating an inflammatory condition in the conjunctiva. Bacterial growth was found in 40 of healthy horse samples and in 92 of infected horse samples. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common isolate in infected horse samples. Gram-negative bacteria, including Moraxella sp., Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella sp., were isolated from 7 of 13 affected horses and were associated with a severe neutrophilic response (39 ± 6.5) and significant epithelial disruption. Conjunctivitis in Arabian horses in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia was characterized by neutrophilic and eosinophilic inflammation with concurrent epithelial disruption. © The Author(s) 2026 CC BY Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Bacteria; Conjunctivitis; Cytology; Equine; Ocular; Swab
Subjects:	S Agriculture > SF Animal culture
Divisions:	World's Veterinary Journal (WVJ)
Page Range:	533 - 540
Journal or Publication Title:	World's Veterinary Journal
Journal Index:	Scopus
Volume:	16
Number:	2
Publisher:	Scienceline Publication
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.54203/scil.2026.wvj50
ISSN:	23224568
Depositing User:	Dr. Alireza Sadeghi
URI:	https://eprints.science-line.com/id/eprint/1685

Actions (login required)

View Item