Evaluation of tulathromycin in the treatment of pulmonary abscesses in foals.
Abstract: Tulathromycin is a new injectable macrolide antibiotic used for the treatment of pulmonary diseases of swine and cattle. In this study, 37 foals with sonographic evidence of lung abscesses were treated with tulathromycin (2.5mg/kg intramuscularly [IM] once weekly, group 1) and 33 foals (group 2) with a combination of azithromycin (10mg/kg per os [PO] once daily for the first seven days of therapy, thereafter every other day) and rifampin (10mg/kg PO twice daily). The bacterial aetiological agent was not determined. The foals were only mildly sick and the median number of pulmonary abscesses was 1.4 (group 1) and 1.6 (group 2). Thirty foals in each group were treated without modifying therapy protocols until all clinical signs of disease had subsided. Tulathromycin was administered for a mean of 53 days, and azithromycin/rifampin for 42 days. The following side effects were associated with tulathromycin (279 IM injections): self-limiting diarrhoea in 11 foals; elevated temperature in six foals, and swellings at the injection site in 12 foals. This study provides some evidence that tulathromycin is well tolerated and appears promising for the treatment of pulmonary abscesses in foals.
Publication Date: 2006-10-11 PubMed ID: 17045497DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2006.08.016Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research paper investigates the effectiveness of the new injectable macrolide antibiotic, tulathromycin, in treating pulmonary abscesses in foals. The findings suggest that tulathromycin is well tolerated and potentially a promising treatment option.
Study Design and Methodology
- The study included a total of 70 foals, which showed sonographic evidence of lung abscesses. These foals were divided into two groups.
- In the first group, 37 foals were treated with tulathromycin injected intramuscularly at a dosage of 2.5mg/kg, once weekly.
- The second group consisted of 33 foals, treated with a combination of azithromycin (10mg/kg orally once a day for the first seven days, and then every other day) and rifampin (10mg/kg orally twice every day). Noticeably, the exact bacterial agent causing the abscesses was not identified.
- All foals were only mildly ill; the median number of pulmonary abscesses was 1.4 for Group 1 and 1.6 for Group 2.
Treatment Duration and Effects
- Thirty foals in each group were treated without altering the therapy protocols until all symptoms of illness had subsided.
- Tulathromycin was administered for an average of 53 days, while azithromycin/rifampin was administered for 42 days.
Side Effects and Tolerability
- 279 injections of Tulathromycin were made during the study. The side effects were relatively minor and self-limiting. Diarrhoea was observed in 11 foals, elevated temperature in six, and localised swelling at the injection site in 12 foals.
- The study concluded that tulathromycin was well tolerated by the foals, making it a seemingly promising option for treating pulmonary abscesses.
All in all, while more research is needed to confirm these preliminary findings and to determine the bacterial agent causing the abscesses, this study provides valuable information towards the development of effective treatment protocols for pulmonary diseases in foals.
Cite This Article
APA
Venner M, Kerth R, Klug E.
(2006).
Evaluation of tulathromycin in the treatment of pulmonary abscesses in foals.
Vet J, 174(2), 418-421.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2006.08.016 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15, Hannover D-30173, Germany. monica.venner@tiho-hannover.de
MeSH Terms
- Administration, Oral
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Anti-Bacterial Agents / administration & dosage
- Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
- Azithromycin / administration & dosage
- Azithromycin / therapeutic use
- Disaccharides / administration & dosage
- Disaccharides / adverse effects
- Disaccharides / therapeutic use
- Drug Therapy, Combination
- Heterocyclic Compounds / administration & dosage
- Heterocyclic Compounds / adverse effects
- Heterocyclic Compounds / therapeutic use
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horses
- Injections, Intramuscular / veterinary
- Lung Abscess / drug therapy
- Lung Abscess / veterinary
- Random Allocation
- Rifampin / therapeutic use
- Time Factors
- Treatment Outcome
Citations
This article has been cited 13 times.- Galecio JS, Marín P, Hernandis V, Botía M, Escudero E. Pharmacokinetics of Tildipirosin in Plasma, Milk, and Somatic Cells Following Intravenous, Intramuscular, and Subcutaneous Administration in Dairy Goats. Pharmaceutics 2022 Apr 13;14(4).
- Guo LL, Gao RY, Wang LH, Lin SJ, Fang BH, Zhao YD. In vivo Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) Profiles of Tulathromycin in an Experimental Intraperitoneal Haemophilus parasuis Infection Model in Neutropenic Guinea Pigs. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:715887.
- Zhao Y, Guo LL, Fang B, Liu B. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) evaluation of tulathromycin against Haemophilus parasuis in an experimental neutropenic guinea pig model. PLoS One 2018;13(12):e0209177.
- Huber L, Giguère S, Slovis NM, Carter CN, Barr BS, Cohen ND, Elam J, Erol E, Locke SJ, Phillips ED, Smith JL. Emergence of Resistance to Macrolides and Rifampin in Clinical Isolates of Rhodococcus equi from Foals in Central Kentucky, 1995 to 2017. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2019 Jan;63(1).
- Rutenberg D, Venner M, Giguère S. Efficacy of Tulathromycin for the Treatment of Foals with Mild to Moderate Bronchopneumonia. J Vet Intern Med 2017 May;31(3):901-906.
- Giguère S, Berghaus LJ, Miller CD. Clinical Assessment of a Point-of-Care Serum Amyloid A Assay in Foals with Bronchopneumonia. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Jul;30(4):1338-43.
- Hildebrand F, Venner M, Giguère S. Efficacy of gamithromycin for the treatment of foals with mild to moderate bronchopneumonia. J Vet Intern Med 2015 Jan;29(1):333-8.
- Villarino N, Brown SA, Martín-Jiménez T. Pharmacokinetics of tulathromycin in healthy and neutropenic mice challenged intranasally with lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2012 Aug;56(8):4078-86.
- 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.
- Hildebrandt D, Venner M, Hart KA, Berghaus L. Plasma C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 concentrations in foals during health and respiratory disease. Equine Vet J 2026 Mar;58(2):372-379.
- Baptiste KE, Kyvsgaard NC, Ahmed MO, Damborg P, Dowling PM. Is Rifampin (Rifampicin) Essential for the Treatment of Rhodococcus equi Infections in Foals? A Critical Review of the Role of Rifampin. J Vet Pharmacol Ther 2025 Sep;48(5):345-358.
- Mizuguchi Y, Tsuzuki N, Ebana MD, Suzuki Y, Kakuda T. IgG Subtype Response against Virulence-Associated Protein A in Foals Naturally Infected with Rhodococcus equi. Vet Sci 2024 Sep 9;11(9).
- Giguère S, Berghaus LJ, Willingham-Lane JM. Antimicrobial Resistance in Rhodococcus equi. Microbiol Spectr 2017 Oct;5(5).
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