A Rickettsia-like organism and an unknown intracellular organism of the conjunctival epithelium of goats

Abstract

(1) A Rickettsia-like organism of the conjunctival epithelium of the goat has been described. It is associated with specific or infectious ophthalmia of goats in South Africa. (2) An unknown intracellular organism of the conjunctival epithelium of the goat in South Africa has been described. It may be associated with a very mild form of conjunctival catarrh. Until more is known of the vectors of the Rickettsia-like•organisms associated with the specific ophthalmias of the sheep, ox, and goat, and of the unknown intracellular organisms found in the conjunctival epithelium of these three species, it appears to be unwise to assign names in addition to Rickettsia conjunctivae, the name already given to the Rickettsia-like organism of the conjunctival epithelium of sheep.