Strigid herpesvirus-1 as a differential for chronic keratitis in owls

Sara Childs-Sanford; Cynthia Hopf-Dennis; Eric Ledbetter

doi:10.53607/wrb.v41.265

Authors

Sara Childs-Sanford The Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA; and The Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
Cynthia Hopf-Dennis The Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA; and The Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
Eric Ledbetter The Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53607/wrb.v41.265

Keywords:

Great horned owl, Bubo virginianus, herpesvirus, conjunctivitis

Abstract

An adult free-ranging great horned owl was referred for evaluation of chronic ulcerative keratitis in the left eye that had been treated for several months. In vivo confocal microscopy confirmed that the corneal lesion was an inactive scar, and histopathology and molecular testing of a proliferative palpebral conjunctival lesion in the same eye confirmed infection with strigid herpesvirus- 1. Resolution of the conjunctivitis occurred following the biopsy and the owl was released. Four months later the owl re-presented with presumed rodenticide poisoning, and there was no evidence of recurrence of ocular disease.

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