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Onchocerca lupi is a species of zoonotic, filarial nematode that causes onchocerciasis in dogs, cats, and humans. It was first described in 1967 in Georgia, then part of the USSR, [...]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]