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\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe need to switch the way we think about antibiotics,\u201d Sebbag said.<\/p>\n \t One Health: Humans, animals, and a shared environment<\/p>\n Sebbag said that his approach to eye infections is part of a holistic strategy known as the global \u201cOne Health\u201d framework, which states that human health, animal health, and the shared environment are deeply interconnected.<\/p>\n \u201cBacteria and their resistance genes can spread between animals and humans,\u201d said Sebbag. \u201cMany of these bacteria are not limited to a single host, so resistant bacteria can spread between people, animals, and the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n He stressed that the \u201cinappropriate\u201d use of antibiotics drives antimicrobial resistance.<\/p>\n \u201cThis makes infections more difficult to treat,\u201d Sebbag explained, \u201cincreasing the risk of complications and affecting both animal and human health.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Overuse of antibiotics<\/p>\n The study examines bacterial keratitis, a serious infection of the cornea, which is among the most urgent emergencies in veterinary eye care.<\/p>\n Without prompt and appropriate treatment, bacterial keratitis can rapidly progress, leading to permanent vision loss or even loss of the eye.<\/p>\n The researchers found mounting evidence that many of the bacteria responsible for these infections are becoming increasingly resistant to commonly used antibiotics.<\/p>\n \u201cLike with humans, antibiotics have been over-prescribed in animals, and this is creating the multi-resistant bacteria,\u201d Sebbag said. \u201cMaybe the right antibiotic isn\u2019t selected, or we don\u2019t use it often enough, or not long enough. Antibiotics are misused in animals the same way that they\u2019re misused among people.\u201d<\/p>\n In a longitudinal study<\/a> published in 2020, Sebbag and colleagues found that multidrug resistance among ocular bacterial isolates increased from approximately five percent to more than 30% within five years.<\/p>\n \u201cThat trend may continue to rise,\u201d he said, \u201cand this is very concerning.\u201d<\/p>\n Eye infections<\/p>\n Primary care veterinarians are usually the first to see most animals with eye problems, Sebbag said.<\/p>\n While these doctors manage a wide range of medical conditions, they are not eye specialists.<\/p>\n For example, dogs are very prone to allergies, whether environmental or food-related.<\/p>\n \u201cMany cases of red, goopy eyes in dogs are actually caused by allergies or other non-bacterial conditions,\u201d Sebbag said. The owner takes the pet to the veterinarian, who may incorrectly guess there is a bacterial infection and prescribe\u00a0antibiotics.<\/p>\n Horses, which are \u201cquite popular in Israel, whether as pets or used for sports or competitions, also get nasty eye infections,\u201d Sebbag said. \u201cOwners should understand that not every red eye requires antibiotics, and appropriate diagnosis is essential before treatment is started.\u201d<\/p>\n He stressed that antimicrobial stewardship does not mean avoiding antibiotics.<\/p>\n \u201cIt means using the right antibiotic only when it is truly needed, at the right dose, for the right duration,\u201d Sebbag said.<\/p>\n \t Another important way to reduce the spread of these resistant bacteria is through better cleaning and infection-control protocols in veterinary clinics, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe use a lot of instruments to examine animals,\u201d Sebbag said. \u201cWe examine one animal, then touch instruments, tables, and other surfaces. Animals are also moved between different areas of the hospital, just like in a human hospital. We know these bacteria can survive on hard surfaces and equipment, so other animals, or people, can be exposed.\u201d<\/p>\n \t \u2018Microbes do not have any borders\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cThe review article from Dr. Lionel Sebbag represents an excellent summary of the fundamental knowledge of antibiotics, antimicrobial use and resistance, especially in cases of bacterial keratitis in dogs, cats, and horses,\u201d Franck Ollivier, founder of Ophtamo V\u00e9t\u00e9rinaire Inc., in Montreal, Canada, told The Times of Israel.<\/p>\n Ollivier was not involved in the study.<\/p>\n \t Antimicrobial resistance is a \u201chuge issue in human medicine as well as in veterinary medicine and thus worldwide because microbes do not have any borders,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The study\u2019s One Health perspective suggests how veterinary ophthalmologists and veterinarians in general should diagnose and treat bacterial infections.<\/p>\n \u201cThis seems to be the essential key to preserving the efficacy of antimicrobial agents,\u201d Ollivier said.<\/p>\n Sebbag and colleagues from the veterinary school\u2019s ophthalmology department recently presented numerous studies at the European Conference of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. He said this \u201creflects the growing international contribution of Israeli veterinary ophthalmology research.\u201d<\/p>\n While there, Sebbag also helped establish a global task force to develop antimicrobial stewardship guidelines that veterinarians can follow.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is an important international initiative,\u201d he said. \u201cPublic awareness of antimicrobial resistance is still limited, and we\u2019re trying to change that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident \u2013 ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded \u2013 I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.<\/p>\n There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.<\/p>\n As a Times of Israel reporter, I\u2019m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit\u2019s. But my colleagues and I can’t do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.<\/p>\n \u2014 Stav Levaton, military reporter<\/p>\n \t\t\t
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\n\t\tProf. Lionel Sebbag, Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel. (Courtesy)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Oren-Peer-640x400.png\")
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\n\t\tProf. Oren Pe\u2019er, Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel. (Courtesy)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Mideast-Israel-Healin_Horo-4-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tVeterinarians examine a horse after its surgery at the Hebrew University\u2019s Koret School of Veterinary Medicine in Rishon Lezion, Israel, on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. (AP Photo\/Oded Balilty)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Mideast-Israel-Syrian_Horo-1-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tMango rests on a bed as zoo veterinarians and staff prepare him for surgery in the Ramat Gan Zoological Center\u2019s animal hospital near Tel Aviv. (AP Photo\/Ariel Schalit)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/OV_Portrait_Franck_C_2-LQ-300x480.jpg\")
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\n\t\tDr Franck Ollivier, DMV, PhD, founder of Ophtamo V\u00e9t\u00e9rinaire Inc., Montr\u00e9al, Canada. (Courtesy)<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tWe can’t do this work alone.\t\t\t<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-4-200x200.jpg\" "\\"\\"\/")
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\n\t\t\t\tYes, I’ll join\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n