Successful treatment of severe conjunctivitis and blepharitis caused by Escherichia coli in an ostrich (Struthio camelus)

Abstract

The aim of the present report was to describe the clinical features and antibiotic susceptibility of severe conjunctivitis and blepharitis caused by Escherichia coli in an ostrich. A 2-month-old ostrich chick was presented with a 5-day history of left periocular swellings and severe conjunctivitis and blepharitis. There were no other abnormalities. The bacteria cultured from the pus aspirated from the periocular swellings were identified to be E. coli. Sensitivities were determined by a modified disc diffusion method, and isolates were fully susceptible to ciprofloxacin, co-trimoxazole, gentamicin, amikacin and chloramphenicol. The ostrich was treated by intramuscular ceftriaxone (10 mg/kg) BID for 1 week. The eye was treated with topical 0.3% ciprofloxacin HCl ophthalmic solution for 2 weeks.