An Infographic from ANS415 Equine Systems Management at Iowa State University

1. Leptospirosis - Equine
Recurrent Uveitis
AKA: Moon blindness
or Periodic Ophthalmia
Post infection of the bacteria
Leptospirosis causes Equine Recurrent
Uveitis (ERU) aka: Moon blindness or
Periodic Ophthalmia
 Carrier mammals shed Leptospirosis through
urine
 Can infect humans
 The bacteria enters a new host when the
individual comes in contact with contaminated
water
– It enters via breaks in the skin or mucus membranes
The Bacteria
Treatment/Prevention
 Early intervention
increases chances of
good prognosis
 No specific test to
accurately diagnose
Leptospirosis Uveitis
Diagnosis
 Classic
Leptospirosis
is seen in foals
and rarely
adult horses.
Can cause late
gestations
abortions
 ERU is characterized by:
 Time when the vascular tunic
or uvea of the eye are inflamed
fluctuating with symptom-free
periods that exhibit low or no
inflammation
 This condition is painful
 May develop weeks to months
after the initial infection of
Leptospirosis
 NO vaccine for horses
 Treatment:
o Streptomycin and/or Penicillin is the
most common
o Tetracyclines can be an alternative
 Prevention:
o Good Husbandry
o Good hygiene practices
o Vaccinate other animals on premises
o Minimize contact with rodents and
wildlife carriers
o Isolate infected horses
Effect of Leptospirosis on:
Natural Carriers Non-Carriers
 Rats, raccoons, possums and other
rodents – No effect
 Other mammals - mild reaction can
have minimal consequences or can lead
to tissue damage, pulmonary
hemorrhage and death
Symptoms of Leptospirosis
Clinical Signs Severe Signs
Low-grade fever, lethargic, and anorexia Redness of eye, jaundice, anemia, red
spots on mucosa, renal failure may occur,
and general depression
Equine Recurrent Uveitis (ERU)
Early signs: Constriction of pupil,
spasmodic winking, tearing,
photophobia, edema of the
eyelid, swollen eye
Later signs: Foggy eye and Pus in the
eye
Source: Verma, Ashutosh, Brian
Stevenson, and Ben Adler. "Download
PDFs." Veterinary Microbiology 167.1-2
(2013): 61-66. Leptospirosis in Horses.
Elsevier. Web. 11 Feb. 2015