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 4C in refrigerator until they were transported to the laboratory for culture.