Medicinal management of corneal opacity in free ranging rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) of Shivalik hills in Western Himalayas, Northern India

Abstract

Corneal opacification was diagnosed in 17 free ranging rhesus macaques during detailed ophthalmic examination as a part of clinical health examination, at the monkey rescue sterilization centre in Hamirpur Himachal Pradesh, India. The cornea was completely opaque permitting only a little vision with respect to the affected eye. Medical management with topical ciprofloxacin and prednisolone along with ketoprofen and vitamin A was instituted. The corneal lesions subsided completely within one week following treatment. The treatment protocol successfully eliminated the discomfort and intraocular lesions with no serious subsequent irritation due to the treatment in these animals.

Keywords: Corneal opacity, Ophthalmic disorder, Rhesus macaque, Shivalik hills