Detection of Leptospirosis Genome from the Aqueous Humor of a Patient with Bilateral Uveitis

ABSTRACT

Background

Leptospira species are difficult to culture. Thus, when there is suspicion for an infectious etiology to uveitis, bacterial cultures may fail to identify Leptospira. We describe a case of leptospirosis-associated uveitis that evaded culture and molecular assays. DNA sequencing of the aqueous fluid showed the presence of Leptospira spp.

Methods

Retrospective case review of clinical and laboratory features of a patient with ocular leptospirosis is presented.

Results

DNA sequencing identified the genome of Leptospirosis spp. in the aqueous humor.

Conclusion

Metagenomic sequencing, by virtue of its unbiased nature, can be a helpful adjunctive test when a strong clinical suspicion for intraocular infection persists despite negative routine culture and molecular assays.

KEYWORDS:

• Anterior chamber paracentesis
• leptospirosis
• leptospirosis uveitis
• metagenomic sequencing
• RNA sequencing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The research reported in this manuscript was supported by the Research to Prevent Blindness Career Development Award (T.D.), the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number K08EY026986 (T.D.), and the Huang Pacific Foundation (J.A.G. and T.D.). This work was supported in part by an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.