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American journal of veterinary research2008; 69(3); 385-395; doi: 10.2460/ajvr.69.3.385

Association of soil concentrations of Rhodococcus equi and incidence of pneumonia attributable to Rhodococcus equi in foals on farms in central Kentucky.

Abstract: To determine whether soil concentrations of total or virulent Rhodococcus equi differed among breeding farms with and without foals with pneumonia caused by R equi. Methods: 37 farms in central Kentucky. Procedures-During January, March, and July 2006, the total concentration of R equi and concentration of virulent R equi were determined by use of quantitative bacteriologic culture and a colony immunoblot technique, respectively, in soil specimens obtained from farms. Differences in concentrations and proportion of virulent isolates within and among time points were compared among farms. Results: Soil concentrations of total or virulent R equi did not vary among farms at any time point. Virulent R equi were identified in soil samples from all farms. Greater density of mares and foals was significantly associated with farms having foals with pneumonia attributable to R equi. Among farms with affected foals, there was a significant association of increased incidence of pneumonia attributable to R equi with an increase in the proportion of virulent bacteria between samples collected in March and July. Conclusions: Results indicated that virulent R equi were commonly recovered from soil of horse breeding farms in central Kentucky, regardless of the status of foals with pneumonia attributable to R equi on each farm. The incidence of foals with pneumonia attributable to R equi can be expected to be higher at farms with a greater density of mares and foals.
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Publication Date: 2008-03-04 PubMed ID: 18312138DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.69.3.385Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research article investigates whether the concentration of the bacterium Rhodococcus equi in the soil of Kentucky horse-breeding farms was linked to the incidence of pneumonia in foals caused by the same bacterium. It concluded that the bacteria were commonly found in the soil and incidence of pneumonia was more likely to increase on farms with a larger population of horses.

Research Process

  • The research was carried out on 37 horse-breeding farms located in central Kentucky.
  • Sampling of the soil was conducted three times in the year 2006 (January, March, and July), to determine the total concentration, and the presence of virulent (disease causing) Rhodococcus equi.
  • Testing was done using a quantitative bacteriologic culture to determine total concentrations and a colony immunoblot technique for identifying virulent strains.
  • The concentration values and the proportion of virulent strains were then compared within and between each time period and between the farms.

Results

  • Findings showed that there was no significant variation in the concentrations of total and virulent Rhodococcus equi among the farms, regardless of the sampling time.
  • The virulent strains of the bacterium were identified in all the soil samples obtained from all the farms.
  • Farms with a higher density of mares and foals were significantly associated with a higher incidence of Rhodococcus equi induced pneumonia in foals.
  • On farms where foals were affected, researchers found a significant association between the increase in pneumonia cases and a proportionate increase in the virulent bacteria in soil samples collected between March and July.

Conclusions

  • The study concluded that virulent Rhodococcus equi bacteria could be found commonly in the soil of horse breeding farms in central Kentucky, irrespective of whether the foals there suffered from Rhodococcus equi induced pneumonia.
  • The research also indicated that a greater concentration of horses on a farm could be linked to a higher incidence of pneumonia cases among foals. This suggests that farm management practices, such as minimizing overcrowding, could help in managing the disease.

Cite This Article

APA
Cohen ND, Carter CN, Scott HM, Chaffin MK, Smith JL, Grimm MB, Kuskie KR, Takai S, Martens RJ. (2008). Association of soil concentrations of Rhodococcus equi and incidence of pneumonia attributable to Rhodococcus equi in foals on farms in central Kentucky. Am J Vet Res, 69(3), 385-395. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.69.3.385

Publication

American journal of veterinary research
ISSN: 0002-9645
NlmUniqueID: 0375011
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 69
Issue: 3
Pages: 385-395

Researcher Affiliations

Cohen, Noah D
  • Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
Carter, Craig N
    Scott, H Morgan
      Chaffin, M Keith
        Smith, Jacqueline L
          Grimm, Michael B
            Kuskie, Kyle R
              Takai, Shinji
                Martens, Ronald J

                  MeSH Terms

                  • Actinomycetales Infections / epidemiology
                  • Actinomycetales Infections / microbiology
                  • Actinomycetales Infections / veterinary
                  • Animals
                  • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
                  • Horse Diseases / microbiology
                  • Horses
                  • Immunoblotting / veterinary
                  • Incidence
                  • Kentucky / epidemiology
                  • Pneumonia, Bacterial / epidemiology
                  • Pneumonia, Bacterial / microbiology
                  • Pneumonia, Bacterial / veterinary
                  • Rhodococcus equi / growth & development
                  • Seasons
                  • Soil Microbiology
                  • Surveys and Questionnaires
                  • Virulence Factors / analysis

                  Citations

                  This article has been cited 19 times.
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                    doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009888pubmed: 34473814google scholar: lookup
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                  7. Madrigal RG, Shaw SD, Witkowski LA, Sisson BE, Blodgett GP, Chaffin MK, Cohen ND. Use of Serial Quantitative PCR of the vapA Gene of Rhodococcus equi in Feces for Early Detection of R. equi Pneumonia in Foals. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Mar-Apr;30(2):664-70.
                    doi: 10.1111/jvim.13828pubmed: 26806422google scholar: lookup
                  8. Shaw SD, Cohen ND, Chaffin MK, Blodgett GP, Syndergaard M, Hurych D. Estimating the Sensitivity and Specificity of Real-Time Quantitative PCR of Fecal Samples for Diagnosis of Rhodococcus equi Pneumonia in Foals. J Vet Intern Med 2015 Nov-Dec;29(6):1712-7.
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                  10. Whitfield-Cargile CM, Cohen ND, Suchodolski J, Chaffin MK, McQueen CM, Arnold CE, Dowd SE, Blodgett GP. Composition and Diversity of the Fecal Microbiome and Inferred Fecal Metagenome Does Not Predict Subsequent Pneumonia Caused by Rhodococcus equi in Foals. PLoS One 2015;10(8):e0136586.
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                    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062879pubmed: 23690962google scholar: lookup
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                  13. Clegg S, Wilson J, Johnson J. More than one way to control hair growth: regulatory mechanisms in enterobacteria that affect fimbriae assembled by the chaperone/usher pathway. J Bacteriol 2011 May;193(9):2081-8.
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                  14. Kuskie KR, Smith JL, Wang N, Carter CN, Chaffin MK, Slovis NM, Stepusin RS, Cattoi AE, Takai S, Cohen ND. Effects of location for collection of air samples on a farm and time of day of sample collection on airborne concentrations of virulent Rhodococcus equi at two horse breeding farms. Am J Vet Res 2011 Jan;72(1):73-9.
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                  15. Summer EJ, Liu M, Gill JJ, Grant M, Chan-Cortes TN, Ferguson L, Janes C, Lange K, Bertoli M, Moore C, Orchard RC, Cohen ND, Young R. Genomic and functional analyses of Rhodococcus equi phages ReqiPepy6, ReqiPoco6, ReqiPine5, and ReqiDocB7. Appl Environ Microbiol 2011 Jan;77(2):669-83.
                    doi: 10.1128/AEM.01952-10pubmed: 21097585google scholar: lookup
                  16. Yerlikaya Z, Karagülle B, Otlu B, Muz A. From Paddock to Foal: Prevalence and Genotypic Diversity of Rhodococcus equi on Stud Farms in Türkiye. Vet Sci 2026 Jan 10;13(1).
                    doi: 10.3390/vetsci13010072pubmed: 41600728google scholar: lookup
                  17. Villalba-Orero M, Gómez CA, Valero-Gónzalez M, Venegas N, Criado G, Martín-Cuervo M. Blood parameters in neonatal foal and colostrum quality as possible early markers for increased risk of developing Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1654052.
                    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1654052pubmed: 40948621google scholar: lookup
                  18. Kabir A, Lamichhane B, Habib T, Adams A, El-Sheikh Ali H, Slovis NM, Troedsson MHT, Helmy YA. Antimicrobial Resistance in Equines: A Growing Threat to Horse Health and Beyond-A Comprehensive Review. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024 Jul 29;13(8).
                    doi: 10.3390/antibiotics13080713pubmed: 39200013google scholar: lookup
                  19. Rakowska A, Czopowicz M, Bereznowski A, Witkowski L. Investigation of the relationship between pulmonary lesions based on lung ultrasound and respiratory clinical signs in foals with suspected pulmonary rhodococcosis. Sci Rep 2023 Nov 8;13(1):19401.
                    doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-46833-2pubmed: 37938262google scholar: lookup
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