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Associations between physical examination, laboratory, and radiographic findings and outcome and subsequent racing performance of foals with Rhodococcus equi infection: 115 cases (1984-1992).
Abstract: To determine whether physical examination, laboratory, or radiographic abnormalities in foals with Rhodococcus equi infection were associated with survival, ability to race at least once after recovery, or, for foals that survived and went on to race, subsequent racing performance. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 49 Thoroughbreds and 66 Standardbreds admitted to 1 of 6 veterinary teaching hospitals between 1984 and 1992 in which R equi infection was positively diagnosed. Methods: Results of physical examination, laboratory testing, and thoracic radiography were reviewed. Indices of racing performance were obtained for foals that recovered and eventually raced and compared with values for the US racing population. Results: 83 (72%) foals survived. Foals that did not survive were more likely to have extreme tachycardia (heart rate > 100 beats/min), be in respiratory distress, and have severe radiographic abnormalities on thoracic radiographs at the time of initial examination than were foals that survived. Clinicopathologic abnormalities were not associated with whether foals did or did not survive. Forty-five of the 83 surviving foals (54%) eventually raced at least once, but none of the factors examined was associated with whether foals went on to race. Racing performance of foals that raced as adults was not significantly different from that of the US racing population. Conclusions: R equi infection in foals is associated with a decreased chance of racing as an adult; however, foals that eventually go on to race perform comparably to the US racing population.
Publication Date: 1998-08-26 PubMed ID: 9713534 The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Multicenter Study
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research studied if physical, laboratory, or radiographic irregularities in foals with Rhodococcus equi infection can predict their survival, racing abilities post recovery, and future racing performance. The paper concluded that while a Rhodococcus equi infection may lower a foal’s chance to race as an adult, those who do survive and race perform comparably to the general US racing population.
Overview of the Research
- The research took place between 1984 and 1992 and included 115 foals (49 Thoroughbreds and 66 Standardbreds) diagnosed with Rhodococcus equi infection.
- They were all admitted to one of six veterinary teaching hospitals for the treatment.
- All data related to physical examination, laboratory testing, and thoracic radiography of each foal were gathered and reviewed.
Results
- Of the 115 foals, 83 (72%) survived the infection.
- Foals that did not survive were found to have higher heart rates (> 100 beats/min), were in respiratory distress, and had severe thoracic radiographic abnormalities.
- However, abnormalities detected through clinical pathology were not found to influence foal survival.
- 45 of the 83 surviving foals (roughly 54%), were able to race at least once post-recovery.
- No identified factors were associated with whether a foal would eventually race.
- The study reports that the racing performance of foals that successfully recovered and raced was statistically similar to the general US racing population.
Conclusions
- Rhodococcus equi infection in foals can reduce the chances of them racing as adults.
- Foals that do survive the infection and eventually race perform on par with the general US racing population.
Cite This Article
APA
Ainsworth DM, Eicker SW, Yeagar AE, Sweeney CR, Viel L, Tesarowski D, Lavoie JP, Hoffman A, Paradis MR, Reed SM, Erb HN, Davidow E, Nalevanko M.
(1998).
Associations between physical examination, laboratory, and radiographic findings and outcome and subsequent racing performance of foals with Rhodococcus equi infection: 115 cases (1984-1992).
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 213(4), 510-515.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-6401, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Actinomycetales Infections / diagnostic imaging
- Actinomycetales Infections / physiopathology
- Actinomycetales Infections / veterinary
- Animals
- Confidence Intervals
- Female
- Heart Rate / physiology
- Horse Diseases / diagnostic imaging
- Horse Diseases / mortality
- Horse Diseases / physiopathology
- Horses
- Logistic Models
- Lung / diagnostic imaging
- Male
- Odds Ratio
- Physical Examination / veterinary
- Pneumonia, Bacterial / diagnostic imaging
- Pneumonia, Bacterial / physiopathology
- Pneumonia, Bacterial / veterinary
- Radiography
- Respiratory Insufficiency / microbiology
- Respiratory Insufficiency / mortality
- Respiratory Insufficiency / veterinary
- Retrospective Studies
- Rhodococcus equi
- Risk Factors
- Running / physiology
- Tachycardia / microbiology
- Tachycardia / mortality
- Tachycardia / veterinary
- Treatment Outcome
Citations
This article has been cited 16 times.- Kahn SK, Cywes-Bentley C, Blodgett GP, Canaday NM, Turner-Garcia CE, Flores-Ahlschwede P, Metcalfe LL, Nevill M, Vinacur M, Sutter PJ, Meyer SC, Bordin AI, Pier GB, Cohen ND. Randomized, controlled trial comparing Rhodococcus equi and poly-N-acetyl glucosamine hyperimmune plasma to prevent R equi pneumonia in foals. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Nov;35(6):2912-2919.
- Kahn SK, Cywes-Bentley C, Blodgett GP, Canaday NM, Turner-Garcia CE, Vinacur M, Cortez-Ramirez SC, Sutter PJ, Meyer SC, Bordin AI, Vlock DR, Pier GB, Cohen ND. Antibody activities in hyperimmune plasma against the Rhodococcus equi virulence -associated protein A or poly-N-acetyl glucosamine are associated with protection of foals against rhodococcal pneumonia. PLoS One 2021;16(8):e0250133.
- Álvarez-Narváez S, Huber L, Giguère S, Hart KA, Berghaus RD, Sanchez S, Cohen ND. Epidemiology and Molecular Basis of Multidrug Resistance in Rhodococcus equi. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2021 May 19;85(2).
- Migdał A, Migdał Ł, Oczkowicz M, Okólski A, Chełmońska-Soyta A. Influence of Age and Immunostimulation on the Level of Toll-Like Receptor Gene (TLR3, 4, and 7) Expression in Foals. Animals (Basel) 2020 Oct 26;10(11).
- Ruocco NA 3rd, Luedke LK, Fortier LA, Ducharme NG, Reesink HL. Rhodococcus equi Joint Sepsis and Osteomyelitis Is Associated With a Grave Prognosis in Foals. Front Vet Sci 2019;6:503.
- Willingham-Lane JM, Berghaus LJ, Berghaus RD, Hart KA, Giguère S. Effect of Macrolide and Rifampin Resistance on the Fitness of Rhodococcus equi. Appl Environ Microbiol 2019 Apr 1;85(7).
- Erganis O, Sayin Z, Hadimli HH, Sakmanoglu A, Pinarkara Y, Ozdemir O, Maden M. The effectiveness of anti-R. equi hyperimmune plasma against R. equi challenge in thoroughbred Arabian foals of mares vaccinated with R. equi vaccine. ScientificWorldJournal 2014;2014:480732.
- McQueen CM, Doan R, Dindot SV, Bourquin JR, Zlatev ZZ, Chaffin MK, Blodgett GP, Ivanov I, Cohen ND. Identification of genomic loci associated with Rhodococcus equi susceptibility in foals. PLoS One 2014;9(6):e98710.
- Buckley T, McManamon E, Stanbridge S. Resistance studies of erythromycin and rifampin for Rhodococcus equi over a 10-year period. Ir Vet J 2007 Dec 1;60(12):728-31.
- Coulson GB, Agarwal S, Hondalus MK. Characterization of the role of the pathogenicity island and vapG in the virulence of the intracellular actinomycete pathogen Rhodococcus equi. Infect Immun 2010 Aug;78(8):3323-34.
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- Berghaus LJ, Venner M, Helbig H, Hildebrandt D, Hart K. The potential value of cytokine, cortisol and vitamin D profiles in foals from birth to weaning for respiratory disease prediction on a farm endemic for Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. Equine Vet J 2026 Mar;58(2):359-371.
- Hardefeldt L, Thomas K, Page S, Norris J, Browning G, El Hage C, Stewart A, Gilkerson J, Muscatello G, Verwilghen D, van Galen G, Bauquier J, Cuming R, Reynolds B, Whittaker C, Wilkes E, Clulow J, Burden C, Begg L. Antimicrobial prescribing guidelines for horses in Australia. Aust Vet J 2025 Dec;103(12):781-889.
- Boneva-Marutsova B, Marutsov P, Kerner K, Zhelev G. First Detection of Rhodococcus equi in a Foal in Bulgaria-A Case Report. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jul 12;15(14).
- 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).
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