Title: Florida keratopathy

{{Short description|Veterinary eye condition}}
'''Florida keratopathy''', also known as '''Florida spots''', is an [[eye]] condition characterized by the presence of multiple spots within both [[cornea]]s.&lt;ref name =&quot;Roze&quot;&gt;{{cite web | last = Roze | first = Maurice | title = Corneal Diseases in Cats | work = Proceedings of the 30th World Congress of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association | year = 2005 | url = http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WSAVA2005&amp;PID=11175&amp;O=Generic | accessdate = 2007-03-23 }}&lt;/ref&gt;  It is most commonly seen in [[dog]]s and [[cat]]s, but is also rarely seen in [[horse]]s and [[bird]]s.&lt;ref name=&quot;Gelatt&quot;&gt;{{cite book|last1=Gelatt|first1=Kirk N.|last2=Gilger|first2=Brian C.|last3=Kern|first3=Thomas J.|title=Veterinary ophthalmology|date=2013|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|location=Ames, Iowa|isbn=9780470960400|pages=1499–1500|edition=5|chapter=Section IV: Special ophthalmology}}&lt;/ref&gt; The disease is found in the southeastern parts of the United States.&lt;ref name=&quot;Gelatt&quot; /&gt; In other parts of the world it is confined to [[tropics]] and [[subtropics]], and it is known as '''tropical keratopathy'''.&lt;ref name=&quot;Roze&quot; /&gt;

Florida keratopathy appears as multiple cloudy [[opacity (optics)|opacities]] in the [[stroma of cornea|stroma]]l layer of the cornea.&lt;ref name=&quot;Roze&quot; /&gt; The spots appear concentrated at the center and become more diffuse at the periphery. They can range in size from one to eight millimeters.&lt;ref name=Gelatt_1999&gt;{{cite book|author=Gelatt, Kirk N. (ed.)|title=Veterinary Ophthalmology|edition=3rd|publisher=Lippincott, Williams &amp; Wilkins|year=1999|isbn=0-683-30076-8}}&lt;/ref&gt;  There are no other symptoms, and there is no response to treatment with either [[anti-inflammatory]] or [[antimicrobial]] drugs.  [[Histology|Histological]] analysis of affected corneas has found [[acid-fast]] staining organisms, suggesting Florida keratopathy may be caused by a type of [[mycobacterium]].&lt;ref name=Gelatt_1999/&gt; The disease may be induced by repeated stings to the eyes by the little fire ant, ''[[Wasmannia auropunctata]]''.&lt;ref&gt;{{cite thesis | last = Theron | first = Leonard | title = ''Wasmannia auropunctata'' linked keratopathy Hypothesis - The Polynesian Case | work = Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine Master | year = 2005 | hdl = 2268/652}}&lt;/ref&gt;{{Primary source-inline|date=April 2017}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Dog diseases]]
[[Category:Cat diseases]]