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Efficacy of Tea Tree Oil in the Treatment of Equine Streptothricosis.
Abstract: Streptothricosis is a dermatitis characterized by matted tufts of hair and coalescing, pustular crusts that affects many livestock species, including horses. It results from cutaneous infection by the actinobacterium Dermatophilus congolensis. For economic reasons, the ailment is often treated with commercially available over-the-counter (OTC) products or home remedies rather than prescribed medications. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of tea tree oil (TTO), an essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia, as an OTC treatment for streptothricosis. Bacteria were isolated from presumptive streptothricosis lesions on horses at a farm in Forest, Virginia. These isolates were microbiologically and genetically confirmed to be D. congolensis. The antimicrobial activity of TTO against D. congolensis isolates was determined by minimum inhibitory concentration and disc diffusion assays and compared with three OTC products advertised specifically for the treatment of "rain rot," a colloquial term for streptothricosis. A 1% TTO solution (v/v, in baby oil) and the three selected OTC products were applied to equine streptothricosis lesions to evaluate in vivo resolution of the lesions. Tea tree oil exhibited antimicrobial behavior against D. congolensis in vitro and produced marked improvement of streptothricosis lesions in vivo. These results have implications for development of TTO as a possible treatment for streptothricosis.
Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2019-05-16 PubMed ID: 31405506DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2019.05.011Google Scholar: Lookup 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
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research investigates the effectiveness of tea tree oil (TTO) in treating a skin disease called Streptothricosis, caused by the bacteria Dermatophilus congolensis, in horses. The results suggest that TTO could be a viable treatment due to its antimicrobial properties against the bacteria.
Study Overview
- The study was initiated to investigate the efficiency of TTO, an essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia, as an over-the-counter (OTC) treatment for streptothricosis in horses. The disease is caused by an infection from the actinobacterium Dermatophilus congolensis and is characterized by matted tufts of hair and coalescing, pustular crusts.
- Often, because of cost considerations, streptothricosis is typically treated with commercial OTC products or home remedies, as opposed to prescription medications.
- The researchers collected bacterial samples from presumed streptothricosis lesions on horses at a farm in Forest, Virginia.
- The collected isolates were confirmed both microbiologically and genetically to be Dermatophilus congolensis.
Experimental Method and Comparison with Other Treatments
- The researchers tested the antimicrobial activity of TTO against the isolated D. congolensis. The tests determining minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and disc diffusion assays were used for this purpose.
- The effects of TTO were then compared with three different OTC products. These products are marketed for treating “rain rot”, a common term used for streptothricosis.
- The selected OTC products and a 1% solution of TTO (v/v, in baby oil) were then applied directly to streptothricosis lesions on horses for an in-vivo test.
Study Findings
- The results demonstrate that TTO demonstrated antimicrobial behavior against D. congolensis in vitro. Notably, the application of the TTO solution brought about a significant improvement to the streptothricosis lesions in vivo.
- These findings suggest potential for the development and use of TTO as a possible treatment for streptothricosis.
Cite This Article
APA
Frye CC, Bei D, Parman JE, Jones J, Houlihan AJ, Rumore A.
(2019).
Efficacy of Tea Tree Oil in the Treatment of Equine Streptothricosis.
J Equine Vet Sci, 79, 79-85.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2019.05.011 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Biological Sciences, Randolph College, Lynchburg, VA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Randolph College, Lynchburg, VA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Randolph College, Lynchburg, VA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Randolph College, Lynchburg, VA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Randolph College, Lynchburg, VA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Randolph College, Lynchburg, VA. Electronic address: arumore@randolphcollege.edu.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Anti-Infective Agents
- Horses
- Melaleuca
- Microbial Sensitivity Tests / veterinary
- Tea Tree Oil
- Virginia
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Branford I, Boyen F, Johnson S, Zayas S, Chapwanya A, Butaye P, Toka FN. Identification and Antimicrobial Resistance of Dermatophilus congolensis from Cattle in Saint Kitts and Nevis. Vet Sci 2021 Jul 16;8(7).
- Morais FP, Simões RMS, Curto JMR. Biopolymeric Delivery Systems for Cosmetic Applications Using Chlorella vulgaris Algae and Tea Tree Essential Oil. Polymers (Basel) 2020 Nov 14;12(11).
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