Based on the severity of the filly`s corneal lesions, expense and duration of treatment, euthanasia was elected.
Histological post mortem examination revealed numerous hyperplastic and/or dysplastic epithelial cells adjacent to areas of ulceration and erosion with intranuclear viral inclusion bodies.
Equine herpesvirus-3 (EHV-3) was identified by polymerase chain reaction from the right cornea and lip.
The virus was isolated from the right cornea, right eyelid and lip.
The dam presented with multifocal to coalescing perineal vesicles.
EHV-3 was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction from the vulvar lesions and the mare recovered spontaneously.
This is the first case of EHV-3 corneal infection reported in horses and emphasises that EHV-3 should be included as a differential diagnosis for vesicular lesions involving the equine periocular and oronasal epithelium.
Source: Barba, M., Stewart, A. J., Shrader, S. M., Koehler, J. W., Johnson, A. K. and Caldwell, F. J. (2015), Keratitis and periocular lesions associated with equine herpesvirus-3 in a 3-month-old filly. Equine Veterinary Education, 27: 618–622. doi: 10.1111/eve.12365
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