Comparison of concentrations of Rhodococcus equi and virulent R. equi in air of stables and paddocks on horse breeding farms in a temperate climate.
Abstract: Rhodococcoccus equi is a significant cause of bronchopneumonia in foals worldwide. Infection of the lungs is believed to result from inhalation of virulent R. equi in dust from contaminated environments. A measure of infectious risk in an environment is the level of airborne contamination. Objective: To assess and compare the level of airborne virulent R. equi in paddocks and stables. Methods: Air samples were collected sequentially over the 2003 foaling season from the paddocks and stables on 3 Irish horse breeding farms affected by R. equi pneumonia. Colony blotting and DNA hybridisation techniques allowed quantitation of virulent R. equi. Results: The odds of detecting airborne virulent R. equi in stables were 173 times greater than in paddocks. The median airborne concentration of virulent R. equi was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in stables than in paddocks on all farms. These observations suggested that stables were high-risk areas for infection. Conclusions: Our results indicate that contaminated stables are a significant risk factor in the epidemiology of R. equi pneumonia on horse-breeding farms in a temperate climate, such as in Ireland. Management strategies that improve the air hygiene of stables, through better ventilation, use of less fragile bedding material and the use of fogging agents to reduce the airborne concentration of virulent R. equi, may reduce the incidence and severity of R. equi pneumonia on farms.
Publication Date: 2006-05-19 PubMed ID: 16706283DOI: 10.2746/042516406776866480Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research observes the airborne levels of Rhodococcus equi, a bacteria causing pneumonia in foals, in horse stables and paddocks. It concluded that stables presented a significantly higher risk of carrying the bacteria than paddocks because of the higher concentration in the air, and suggested strategies to improve air hygiene in stables.
Objective and Methods
The main goal of the research was to understand and compare the concentration of airborne virulent R. equi in stables and paddocks. The need for this emerged from the understanding that the infection in foals primarily results from inhaling this bacteria from a contaminated environment.
- The study was conducted over the 2003 foaling season on 3 horse-breeding farms in Ireland that had previously reported occurrences of R. equi pneumonia.
- Air samples were collected sequentially from both the stables and paddocks.
- The use of colony blotting and DNA hybridisation techniques was instrumental in measuring the concentration of the virulent R. equi in these samples.
Results
Findings from the study revealed that the chances of finding airborne virulent R. equi in stables were 173 times higher than in paddocks.
- The median airborne concentration of the pathogen was significantly higher (p <0.001) in stables than in the paddocks on all farms.
- These findings led to the conclusion that stables are high-risk areas for foals to contract the infection.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Based on the results, the research concluded that contaminated stables pose a significant risk in the epidemiology of R. equi pneumonia in horse-breeding farms situated in temperate climates, such as Ireland.
- The study advised management strategies aimed at improving the air hygiene in stables to curb the spread and severity of the infection.
- These strategies include better ventilation, use of less fragile bedding material, and introducing fogging agents to reduce the airborne concentration of virulent R. equi.
- Implementing such strategies may lower both the incidence and the severity of R. equi pneumonia on these farms.
Cite This Article
APA
Muscatello G, Gerbaud S, Kennedy C, Gilkerson JR, Buckley T, Klay M, Leadon DP, Browning GF.
(2006).
Comparison of concentrations of Rhodococcus equi and virulent R. equi in air of stables and paddocks on horse breeding farms in a temperate climate.
Equine Vet J, 38(3), 263-265.
https://doi.org/10.2746/042516406776866480 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Infectious Disease Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
MeSH Terms
- Actinomycetales Infections / epidemiology
- Actinomycetales Infections / microbiology
- Actinomycetales Infections / veterinary
- Air Microbiology
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Breeding
- Climate
- Female
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Housing, Animal / standards
- Ireland
- Male
- Rhodococcus equi / isolation & purification
- Rhodococcus equi / pathogenicity
- Seasons
- Virulence
Citations
This article has been cited 14 times.- Cohen ND, Kahn SK, Bordin AI, Gonzales GM, da Silveira BP, Bray JM, Legere RM, Ramirez-Cortez SC. Association of pneumonia with concentrations of virulent Rhodococcus equi in fecal swabs of foals before and after intrabronchial infection with virulent R. equi. J Vet Intern Med 2022 May;36(3):1139-1145.
- Erol E, Scortti M, Fortner J, Patel M, Vázquez-Boland JA. Antimicrobial Resistance Spectrum Conferred by pRErm46 of Emerging Macrolide (Multidrug)-Resistant Rhodococcus equi. J Clin Microbiol 2021 Sep 20;59(10):e0114921.
- 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).
- Mourenza Á, Collado C, Bravo-Santano N, Gil JA, Mateos LM, Letek M. The extracellular thioredoxin Etrx3 is required for macrophage infection in Rhodococcus equi. Vet Res 2020 Mar 10;51(1):38.
- Mourenza Á, Gil JA, Mateos LM, Letek M. A Novel Screening Strategy Reveals ROS-Generating Antimicrobials That Act Synergistically against the Intracellular Veterinary Pathogen Rhodococcus equi. Antioxidants (Basel) 2020 Jan 28;9(2).
- Mourenza Á, Bravo-Santano N, Pradal I, Gil JA, Mateos LM, Letek M. Mycoredoxins Are Required for Redox Homeostasis and Intracellular Survival in the Actinobacterial Pathogen Rhodococcus equi. Antioxidants (Basel) 2019 Nov 15;8(11).
- Willingham-Lane JM, Berghaus LJ, Giguère S, Hondalus MK. Influence of Plasmid Type on the Replication of Rhodococcus equi in Host Macrophages. mSphere 2016 Sep-Oct;1(5).
- 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.
- Gressler LT, de Vargas AC, da Costa MM, Pötter L, da Silveira BP, Sangioni LA, de Avila Botton S. Genotypic and phenotypic detection of efflux pump in Rhodococcus equi. Braz J Microbiol 2014;45(2):661-5.
- 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.
- Muscatello G, Gilkerson JR, Browning GF. Detection of virulent Rhodococcus equi in exhaled air samples from naturally infected foals. J Clin Microbiol 2009 Mar;47(3):734-7.
- Kic P, Wohlmuthová M. The Indoor Environment at the University Equestrian Facility in the Autumn Semester: A Case Study. Animals (Basel) 2025 Nov 18;15(22).
- 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).
- 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.
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