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Home / Equine Research Bank / Can J Comp Med / Epidemiological survey of Corynebacterium equi infections on...
Canadian journal of comparative medicine : Revue canadienne de medecine comparee1984; 48(1); 10-13;

Epidemiological survey of Corynebacterium equi infections on five Ontario horse farms.

Abstract: Corynebacterium equi was cultured from manure or soil on five horse-breeding farms in Ontario at monthly intervals on three occasions during the summer of 1982. The organism was widespread. Contamination by C. equi of the loafing paddock and pasture areas was significantly greater in a farm established 30 years than in two established for four and six years and there was a significant correlation between the C. equi burden in stables, paddocks and pastures and the length of use of the five farms for horses. In all farms, numbers of C. equi in pasture soil exceeded numbers in fresh manure, suggesting that environmental multiplication of the organism might occur. A farm with an endemic C. equi pneumonia problem differed significantly from the other four farms, where disease was not endemic, in the larger number of C. equi isolated in the stable area. By contrast the farm with a C. equi pasture soil burden significantly heavier than on all other farms had no deaths due to C. equi pneumonia. There was a correlation (r = 0.78, p = 0.061) between the number of cases of C. equi pneumonia on the farms and numbers of C. equi in the area of the stables, but not on the paddocks or pastures. About two-thirds of randomly chosen isolates from the farms belonged to the three capsular serotypes most commonly found in pneumonic foals.
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Publication Date: 1984-01-01 PubMed ID: 6713248PubMed Central: PMC1235997
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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.

The research article reports an epidemiological survey conducted on five horse farms in Ontario in 1982, investigating the prevalence and dispersion of Corynebacterium equi—an infection often found in horses. The results showed widespread contamination on these farms and highlighted a correlation between the C. equi burden and the length of farm use for horses. Interestingly, farms with different disease prevalence showed significant variations in the numbers of C. equi.

Objective of the Research

  • The main objective of this research was to conduct an epidemiological survey on five horse farms in Ontario to understand the prevalence and dispersion of Corynebacterium equi. The focus was to examine the relationship between the C. equi infection and factors such as age and usage of the farms, and the environmental conditions of stables and pastures.

Methodology

  • The survey collected samples from manure or soil on five horse-breeding farms at monthly intervals on three different occasions during the summer of 1982.
  • The data were statistically analyzed to examine the levels of C. equi contamination, the correlation between the C. equi burden and the length of use of the farms for horses, as well as the association between the presence of C. equi infection and the patterns of environmental conditions.

Findings

  • The results revealed widespread contamination by C. equi across all observed farms. A significantly larger C. equi contamination was found on a farm that had been established longer (30 years) compared to two farms established relatively recently (four and six years).
  • A correlation was found between the number of C. equi in the stables, paddocks, and pastures and the duration of use of the five farms for horses.
  • The number of C. equi in pasture soil was found to exceed numbers in fresh manure, suggesting potential environmental multiplication of the organism.
  • Significant variations were found in the quantities of C. equi across farms with different disease prevalence. The farm with an endemic C. equi pneumonia problem had a larger number of C. equi isolated in the stable area compared to other farms. A farm with a heavier C. equi contagion in pasture soil had no deaths due to C. equi pneumonia.
  • A weak correlation was found between the number of C. equi pneumonia cases on the farms and the number of C. equi in the stable areas, but not in the paddocks or pastures.
  • About two-thirds of randomly selected C. equi samples from the farms belonged to the three capsular serotypes most commonly found in pneumonic foals.

Cite This Article

APA
Prescott JF, Travers M, Yager-Johnson JA. (1984). Epidemiological survey of Corynebacterium equi infections on five Ontario horse farms. Can J Comp Med, 48(1), 10-13.

Publication

Canadian journal of comparative medicine : Revue canadienne de medecine comparee
ISSN: 0008-4050
NlmUniqueID: 0151747
Country: Canada
Language: English
Volume: 48
Issue: 1
Pages: 10-13

Researcher Affiliations

Prescott, J F
    Travers, M
      Yager-Johnson, J A

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Corynebacterium / classification
        • Corynebacterium / isolation & purification
        • Corynebacterium Infections / epidemiology
        • Corynebacterium Infections / veterinary
        • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
        • Horses
        • Manure
        • Ontario
        • Pneumonia / epidemiology
        • Pneumonia / veterinary
        • Serotyping / veterinary
        • Soil Microbiology

        References

        This article includes 11 references
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        Citations

        This article has been cited 13 times.
        1. Javed R, Taku AK, Gangil R, Sharma RK. Molecular characterization of virulence genes of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi and Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus in equines. Vet World 2016 Aug;9(8):875-81.
          doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2016.875-881pubmed: 27651677google scholar: lookup
        2. Mir IA, Kumar B, Taku A, Bhardwaj RK, Bhat MA, Badroo GA. Prevalence and Antibiogram study of Rhodococcus equi in equines of Jammu and Kashmir, India. J Equine Sci 2015;26(1):21-4.
          doi: 10.1294/jes.26.21pubmed: 25829867google scholar: lookup
        3. Prescott JF, Machang'u R, Kwiecien J, Delaney K. Prevention of foal mortality due to Rhodococcus equi pneumonia on an endemically affected farm. Can Vet J 1989 Nov;30(11):871-5.
          pubmed: 17423454
        4. Zink MC, Yager JA, Smart NL. Corynebacterium equi Infections in Horses, 1958-1984: A Review of 131 Cases. Can Vet J 1986 May;27(5):213-7.
          pubmed: 17422658
        5. Muscatello G, Anderson GA, Gilkerson JR, Browning GF. Associations between the ecology of virulent Rhodococcus equi and the epidemiology of R. equi pneumonia on Australian thoroughbred farms. Appl Environ Microbiol 2006 Sep;72(9):6152-60.
          doi: 10.1128/AEM.00495-06pubmed: 16957241google scholar: lookup
        6. Takai S, Iimori S, Tsubaki S. Quantitative fecal culture for early diagnosis of Corynebacterium (Rhodococcus) equi enteritis in foals. Can J Vet Res 1986 Oct;50(4):479-84.
          pubmed: 3791074
        7. Takai S, Kawazu S, Tsubaki S. Immunoglobulin and specific antibody responses to Rhodococcus (Corynebacterium) equi infection in foals as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. J Clin Microbiol 1986 May;23(5):943-7.
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        8. Takai S, Ohkura H, Watanabe Y, Tsubaki S. Quantitative aspects of fecal Rhodococcus (Corynebacterium) equi in foals. J Clin Microbiol 1986 Apr;23(4):794-6.
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        9. Zink MC, Yager JA. Experimental infection of piglets by aerosols of Rhodococcus equi. Can J Vet Res 1987 Jul;51(3):290-6.
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        10. Prescott JF. Rhodococcus equi: an animal and human pathogen. Clin Microbiol Rev 1991 Jan;4(1):20-34.
          doi: 10.1128/CMR.4.1.20pubmed: 2004346google scholar: lookup
        11. Takai S, Sekizaki T, Ozawa T, Sugawara T, Watanabe Y, Tsubaki S. Association between a large plasmid and 15- to 17-kilodalton antigens in virulent Rhodococcus equi. Infect Immun 1991 Nov;59(11):4056-60.
          doi: 10.1128/iai.59.11.4056-4060.1991pubmed: 1937765google scholar: lookup
        12. Takai S, Ohbushi S, Koike K, Tsubaki S, Oishi H, Kamada M. Prevalence of virulent Rhodococcus equi in isolates from soil and feces of horses from horse-breeding farms with and without endemic infections. J Clin Microbiol 1991 Dec;29(12):2887-9.
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        13. Takai S, Iie M, Watanabe Y, Tsubaki S, Sekizaki T. Virulence-associated 15- to 17-kilodalton antigens in Rhodococcus equi: temperature-dependent expression and location of the antigens. Infect Immun 1992 Jul;60(7):2995-7.
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