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Infectious ophthalmic disease is a spectrum of eye diseases caused by a variety of pathogens. These infectious agents can target various structures of the eye, from the external surface to the internal structures, leading to a spectrum of sight-threatening complications. Protheragen is at the forefront of developing innovative drug and therapy solutions for hereditary ophthalmic diseases.
Infectious ophthalmic diseases are a group of conditions affecting the eye, caused by a variety of pathogens including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. These diseases can range from mild and self-limiting to severe and sight-threatening, impacting individuals globally. From a scientific perspective, the impact of these diseases is significant, with some causing long-term visual impairment or blindness. The complex interplay of host immune response and pathogen virulence factors contributes to the disease pathology, making the development of effective therapeutics a critical area of research need.
Fig.1 Anatomy of the eye. (Lu L. J., et al., 2016)The diverse range of infectious agents that can affect the eye manifests in a wide array of disease presentations, including:
Table 1. Examples of ocular infections causing sight loss. (Lu L. J., et al., 2016)
| Classification | Diagnostic category | Organisms involved |
| Viruses | Keratitis | Measles virus, herpesviruses, adenovirus |
| Uveitis | Herpesviruses, rubella, HIV, Ebola, Chikungunya, Zika | |
| Cicatrising conjunctivitis | Adenovirus, herpes simplex | |
| Chorioretinitis | West Nile virus, Ebolavirus | |
| Retinitis | Herpesviruses, Rift Valley Fever virus, Zika virus, Chikungunya, measles | |
| Foveolitis | Dengue | |
| Orbital apex syndrome, optic neuritis, scleritis | Varicella zoster virus | |
| Post-infectious maculopathies | Influenza, Coxsackie, SARS-CoV2 | |
| Post-infectious maculopathies | Influenza, Coxsackie, SARS-CoV2 | |
| Congenital retinopathy and/or retinal lesions | Rubella, Zika, HSV-2 | |
| Bacteria and fungi | Trachoma | Chlamydia trachomatis |
| Keratitis | Various e.g., Staphylococcus aureus, Fusarium spp. | |
| Endophthalmitis | Various e.g., coagulase-negative staphylococci, Candida albicans, Klebsiella spp. | |
| Ocular syphilis (placoid chorioretinitis, optic neuritis, multifocal retinitis, vitritis, granulomatous uveitis) | Treponema pallidum | |
| Orbital cellulitis | Various e.g., Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae | |
| Hypopyon uveitis | Leptospirosis (Weil's disease) | |
| Neuroretinitis | Spirochaetes (e.g., tick-borne borrelioses, leptospirosis), Bartonella spp., rickettsioses | |
| Multifocal retinitis | Rickettsioses, Bartonella spp. | |
| Ocular leprosy, erythema nodosum leprosum, iris leproma | Mycobacterium leprae | |
| Ocular tuberculosis (granulomatous uveitis, occlusive retinal vasculitis, serpiginous-like and ampiginous choroiditis, choroidal granulomas, and/or optic nerve granuloma) | Mycobacterium tuberculosis | |
| Choroidal granuloma | Brucella spp., TB | |
| Multifocal choroiditis | Nocardia spp., paracoccidioidomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome | |
| Optic disc oedema | Tropheryma whipplei | |
| Post-streptococcal uveitis | β-haemolytic (Group A) streptococci | |
| Parasites and arthropods | Onchocerciasis | Onchocerca volvulus |
| Keratitis | Acanthamoeba spp., microsporidia spp. | |
| Ocular toxoplasmosis (chorioretinitis) | Toxoplasma gondii | |
| Post-kala azar ocular leishmaniasis | Leishmania donovani, Leishmania infantum | |
| Ocular toxocariasis | Toxocara spp. | |
| Orbital and ocular tapeworm infections | Cysticercosis (Taenia solium), Echinococcus granulosus, Spirometra spp. | |
| Diffuse subacute neuroretinitis | Various, e.g., Toxocara spp., Baylisascaris procyonis, soil-transmitted helminths, non-human hookworms | |
| Presumed trematode-induced granuloma | Schistosoma spp., Procerovum varium | |
| Ocular pentastomiasis | Armillifer armillatus, Linguatula serrata | |
| Orbital and ocular roundworm infections | Trichinella spp., Dirofilaria spp., Angiostrongylus spp., Gnathostoma spp. | |
| Ophthalmomyiasis | Various, e.g., sheep bot fly Oestrus ovis |
Disclaimer: Protheragen focuses on providing preclinical research service. This table is for information exchange purposes only. This table is not a treatment plan recommendation. For guidance on treatment options, please visit a regular hospital.
The development of effective drugs and therapies for infectious ophthalmic diseases has been an ongoing challenge, but significant progress has been made in recent years. Protheragen, a leading biotechnology company with extensive expertise in ophthalmology, has been at the forefront of these advancements.
Protheragen, a renowned leader in the field of ophthalmology, has built a comprehensive suite of services to address the growing challenge of infectious ophthalmic diseases. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us for more details and quotation information of related services.
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