Specimen collection
In the winter of 2019, eye specimens were collected from horses without
local anesthesia. A sterile cotton swab moistened with saline solution
was gently run along the surface of the conjunctiva adjacent to the
medial canthus of both eyes. Special care was taken to avoid
contamination of the swab by unwanted contact with nostrils, eyelids,
and eyelashes. Individual swabs were used for each eye, and the swabs
were placed in separate tubes containing Amies transfer medium. The
tubes were stored at 4◦C in refrigerator until they
were transported to the laboratory for culture.