FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Sci Rep / Investigation of the relationship between pulmonary lesions ...
Scientific reports2023; 13(1); 19401; doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-46833-2

Investigation of the relationship between pulmonary lesions based on lung ultrasound and respiratory clinical signs in foals with suspected pulmonary rhodococcosis.

Abstract: Rhodococcus equi is a widely recognized bacterium responsible for pneumonia in preweaned foals. On endemic farms, foals with a subclinical course of the disease usually outnumber those presenting clinical signs. The disease is typically chronic and mainly manifests as fever and dyspnoea. Currently, field diagnosis is often based on lung ultrasound (LUS); however, both diagnostic and therapeutic approaches vary among practitioners and considerably change over time. This longitudinal, prospective study was designed to describe the appearance and progression of rhodococcal pulmonary lesions during the first months of life based on LUS and to evaluate the relationship between the presence and severity of rhodococcal pulmonary lesions and the occurrence of respiratory clinical signs in foals from farms with endemic R. equi infections. Nearly 26% of foals demonstrated respiratory signs highly suggestive of pulmonary rhodococcosis, and approximately 70% of the foals had abnormalities detected on LUS without concurrent clinical signs. The appearance and development of LUS abnormalities were age-related. An abscess diameter exceeding 15 mm in LUS and other pleural lesions were significantly linked with the occurrence of clinical signs suggestive of pulmonary rhodococcosis (P < 0.001) and may be considered predictive factors of rhodococcal pneumonia in foals.
© 2023. The Author(s).
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2023-11-08 PubMed ID: 37938262PubMed Central: PMC10632467DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46833-2Google 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.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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 is about the use of lung ultrasound (LUS) to diagnose and track pulmonary rhodococcosis, a lung disease caused by Rhodococcus equi bacterium, in foals. The study also aimed to correlate LUS findings with the clinical signs of the disease.

Objective of the Research

  • The researchers aimed to analyze how Rhodococcus equi-induced pulmonary lesions developed and looked on lung ultrasound (LUS) in foals during their first months of life.
  • Another goal was to investigate the connection between the presence and severity of these lung lesions and the display of respiratory symptoms in foals, specifically in places with recurring R. equi infections.

Methodology and Results

  • The study was conducted as a longitudinal, perspective line of investigation, which means the foals were observed over time and data was compared at various points.
  • Nearly 70% of foals were found to have abnormalities observable on LUS, but without showing any clinical signs. On the other hand, 26% of foals did contain respiratory symptoms strongly indicative of pulmonary rhodococcosis.
  • The study observed that the presentation and progression of LUS abnormalities were closely linked with the foals’ ages.

Significant Findings

  • The investigators observed that having an abscess diameter surpassing 15mm in LUS and the occurrence of other pleural lesions were significantly associated with clinical signs of pulmonary rhodococcosis.
  • This research found a strong link (P < 0.001) between the diameter of abscess in LUS and the appearance of clinical symptoms, suggesting the abscess size could be a predictive factor for Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals.

Implications of the Study

  • The results from this study might aid the process of diagnosing pulmonary rhodococcosis in foals early, particularly on farms with a known history of R. equi infections.
  • By predicting the disease based on the identified LUS features, early intervention and targeted treatment could be provided to the affected foals, potentially improving their prognosis.

Cite This Article

APA
Rakowska A, Czopowicz M, Bereznowski A, Witkowski L. (2023). Investigation of the relationship between pulmonary lesions based on lung ultrasound and respiratory clinical signs in foals with suspected pulmonary rhodococcosis. Sci Rep, 13(1), 19401. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-46833-2

Publication

Scientific reports
ISSN: 2045-2322
NlmUniqueID: 101563288
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 1
Pages: 19401

Researcher Affiliations

Rakowska, Alicja
  • Division of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159C, 02-776, Warsaw, Poland. alicja_rakowska@sggw.edu.pl.
Czopowicz, Michał
  • Division of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159C, 02-776, Warsaw, Poland.
Bereznowski, Andrzej
  • Division of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159C, 02-776, Warsaw, Poland.
Witkowski, Lucjan
  • Division of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159C, 02-776, Warsaw, Poland.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Prospective Studies
  • Dyspnea
  • Ultrasonography / veterinary
  • Lung / diagnostic imaging
  • Pneumonia / diagnostic imaging
  • Pneumonia / veterinary

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

References

This article includes 55 references
  1. Giguère S, Cohen ND. Controversies in therapy of infections caused by Rhodococcus equi in foals. Equine Vet. Educ. 2018;30:336–341.
    doi: 10.1111/eve.12870google scholar: lookup
  2. McCracken JL. Screening for Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. in Robinson’s Current Therapy in Equine Medicine, 737–740 (Elsevier, 2015).
    doi: 10.1016/b978-1-4557-4555-5.00176-xgoogle scholar: lookup
  3. Venner M, Rödiger A, Laemmer M, Giguère S. Failure of antimicrobial therapy to accelerate spontaneous healing of subclinical pulmonary abscesses on a farm with endemic infections caused by Rhodococcus equi. Vet. J. 2012;192:293–298.
    doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2011.07.004pubmed: 21924651google scholar: lookup
  4. Huber L. Monitoring foals by thoracic ultrasonography, bacterial culture, and PCR: Diagnostic of Rhodococcus equi subclinical pneumonia in south of Brazil. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2018;60:104–108.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2017.08.017google scholar: lookup
  5. Madrigal RG. Use of serial quantitative PCR of the vapA gene of Rhodococcus equi in feces for early detection of R. equi pneumonia in foals. J. Vet. Intern. Med. 2016;30:664–670.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.13828pmc: PMC4913589pubmed: 26806422google scholar: lookup
  6. Arnold-Lehna D, Venner M, Berghaus LJ, Berghaus R, Giguère S. Changing policy to treat foals with Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in the later course of disease decreases antimicrobial usage without increasing mortality rate. Equine Vet. J. 2019.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.13219pubmed: 31808183google scholar: lookup
  7. McCracken JL, Slovis NM. Use of thoracic ultrasound for the prevention of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia on endemic farms. AAEP Proc. 2009;55:1–10.
  8. Coleman MC. Foal-level risk factors associated with development of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia at a quarter horse breeding farm. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2019;72:89–96.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2018.10.023pubmed: 30929790google scholar: lookup
  9. Tarancón I, Leiva M, Jose-Cunilleras E, Ríos J, Peña T. Ophthalmologic findings associated with Rhodococcus equi bronchopneumonia in foals. Vet. Ophthalmol. 2019;22:660–665.
    doi: 10.1111/vop.12637pubmed: 30706641google scholar: lookup
  10. Venner M, Walther SM, Münzer B, Stadler P. Diagnostic of Pulmonary Abscesses in foals-Comparison of Sonographic and Radiographic Examination. Pferdeheilkunde 2014.
  11. Kahn SK. 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;35:2912–2919.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.16294pmc: PMC8692225pubmed: 34738651google scholar: lookup
  12. Kalinowski M, Jarosz Ł, Grądzki Z. Assessment of antimicrobial susceptibility of virulent strains of Rhodococcus equi isolated from foals and soil of horse breeding farms with and without endemic infections. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2020;91:103114.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2020.103114pubmed: 32684259google scholar: lookup
  13. Giguère S. Diagnosis, treatment, control, and prevention of infections caused by Rhodococcus equi in foals. J. Vet. Intern. Med. 2011;25:1209–1220.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2011.00835.xpubmed: 22092608google scholar: lookup
  14. Łobaczewski A. Lung ultrasound for imaging of b-lines in dogs and cats: A prospective study investigating agreement between three types of transducers and the accuracy in diagnosing cardiogenic pulmonary edema, pneumonia and lung neoplasia. Animals 2021;11:3279.
    doi: 10.3390/ani11113279pmc: PMC8614539pubmed: 34828010google scholar: lookup
  15. Rutenberg D, Venner M, Giguère S. Efficacy of tulathromycin for the treatment of foals with mild to moderate bronchopneumonia. J. Vet. Intern. Med. 2017;31:901–906.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.14717pmc: PMC5435035pubmed: 28421633google scholar: lookup
  16. Giguére S. Retrospective comparison of azithromycin, clarithromycin, and erythromycin for the treatment of foals with Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. J. Vet. Intern. Med. 2004;18:568–573.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2004.tb02587.xpubmed: 15320600google scholar: lookup
  17. Rzewuska M. Characterization of Rhodococcus equi isolates from submaxillary lymph nodes of wild boars (Sus scrofa), red deer (Cervus elaphus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). Vet. Microbiol. 2014;172:272–278.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2014.04.020pubmed: 24878324google scholar: lookup
  18. Traczewski MMBM. Methods for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Infrequently Isolated or Fastidious Bacteria Isolated From Animals. CLSI supplement Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute 2017.
  19. Altman D, Machin D, Bryant T, Gardner M. Statistics with Confidence: Confidence Intervals and Statistical Guidelines. BMJ Books 2000.
  20. Chaffin MK, Cohen ND, Martens RJ. Evaluation of equine breeding farm management and preventative health practices as risk factors for development of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 2003;222(4):476–485.
    doi: 10.2460/javma.2003.222.476pubmed: 12597421google scholar: lookup
  21. Cohen ND, O’Conor MS, Chaffin MK, Martens RJ. Farm characteristics and management practices associated with development of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 2005;226:404–413.
    doi: 10.2460/javma.2005.226.404pubmed: 15702691google scholar: lookup
  22. . Studies on the persistence of transfused Rhodococcus equi antibodies in Thoroughbred foals. Anim. Reprod. Sci. 121, 359–360 (2010).
  23. Lopez AM, Hines MT, Palmer GH, Alperin DC, Hines SA. Identification of pulmonary T-lymphocyte and serum antibody isotype responses associated with protection against Rhodococcus equi. Clin. Diagn. Lab. Immunol. 2002;9:1270–1276.
    pmc: PMC130094pubmed: 12414760
  24. Sanz MG, Loynachan A, Horohov DW. Rhodococcus equi hyperimmune plasma decreases pneumonia severity after a randomised experimental challenge of neonatal foals. Vet. Rec. 2016;178:261–261.
    doi: 10.1136/vr.103095pubmed: 26932206google scholar: lookup
  25. Kahn SK. Transfusion with 2 L of hyperimmune plasma is superior to transfusion of 1 L or less for protecting foals against subclinical pneumonia attributed to Rhodococcus equi. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2019;79:54–58.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2019.05.015pubmed: 31405501google scholar: lookup
  26. Wetzig M, Venner M, Giguère S. Efficacy of the combination of doxycycline and azithromycin for the treatment of foals with mild to moderate bronchopneumonia. Equine Vet. J. 2019.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.13211pubmed: 31769897google scholar: lookup
  27. Arnold-Lehna D, Venner M, Berghous LJ, Berghous R, Giguére S. Efficacy of treatment and survival rate of foals with pneumonia: Retrospective comparison of rifampin/azithromycin and rifampin/tulathromycin. Pferdeheilkunde 2019;35:423–430.
  28. Muscatello G. 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. 2010;38:263–265.
    doi: 10.2746/042516406776866480pubmed: 16706283google scholar: lookup
  29. Punsmann S, Hellige M, Hoppe J, Freise F, Venner M. Diagnostic imaging in acute interstitial pneumonia in foals: High variability of interpretation of chest radiographs and good conformity between ultrasonographic and post-mortem findings. Vet. Radiol. Ultrasound. 2021;62:490–497.
    doi: 10.1111/vru.12972pubmed: 33823075google scholar: lookup
  30. Cohen ND. Association of soil concentrations of Rhodococcus equi and incidence of pneumonia attributable to Rhodococcus equi in foals on farms in central Kentucky. Am. J. Vet. Res. 2008;69:385–395.
    doi: 10.2460/ajvr.69.3.385pubmed: 18312138google scholar: lookup
  31. Takai S. Prevalence of virulent Rhodococcus equi in soil from five R. equi-endemic horse-breeding farms and restriction fragment length polymorphisms of virulence plasmids in isolates from soil and infected foals in Texas. J. Vet. Diagn. Invest. 2001;13:484–490.
    doi: 10.1177/104063870101300606pubmed: 11724139google scholar: lookup
  32. Martens RJ. Association of disease with isolation and virulence of Rhodococcus equi from farm soil and foals with pneumonia. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 2000;217:220–225.
    doi: 10.2460/javma.2000.217.220pubmed: 10909463google scholar: lookup
  33. Cohen ND. Association of perinatal exposure to airborne Rhodococcus equi with risk of pneumonia caused by R. equi in foals. Am. J. Vet. Res. 2013;74:102–109.
    doi: 10.2460/ajvr.74.1.102pubmed: 23270353google scholar: lookup
  34. Kuskie KR. Associations between the exposure to airborne virulent Rhodococcus equi and the incidence of R. equi pneumonia among individual foals. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2011;31:463–469.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2011.03.002google scholar: lookup
  35. Witkowski L. Molecular characterization of Rhodococcus equi isolates from horses in Poland: PVapA characteristics and plasmid new variant, 85-kb type V. BMC Vet. Res. 2017;13:1–10.
    pmc: PMC5267371pubmed: 28122544
  36. Huber L, Giguère S, Berghaus LJ, Hanafi A, Ryan C. Fecal shedding of Rhodococcus equi in mares and foals after experimental infection of foals and effect of composting on concentrations of R. equi in contaminated bedding. Vet. Microbiol. 2018;223:42–46.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2018.07.017pubmed: 30173750google scholar: lookup
  37. Claußen G, Hessel EF. Particulate matter in equestrian stables and riding arenas. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2017;55:60–70.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2017.04.004google scholar: lookup
  38. Grzyb J, Podstawski Z, Bulski K. Bacterial aerosol, particulate matter, and microclimatic parameters in the horse stables in Poland. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 2021.
    doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-18142-6pmc: PMC8990930pubmed: 34921652google scholar: lookup
  39. Takai S. Birth month associated with tracheal colonization of Rhodococcus equi in newborn foals on horse-breeding farms with sporadic rhodococcosis in Japan. Vet. Microbiol. 2022;267:109373.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2022.109373pubmed: 35217354google scholar: lookup
  40. Giguère S, Berghaus LJ, Willingham-Lane JM. Antimicrobial resistance in Rhodococcus equi. Vet. Microbiol. 2017.
    doi: 10.1128/microbiolspec.ARBA-0004pmc: PMC11687536pubmed: 29052538google scholar: lookup
  41. Erol E, Shaffer CL, Lubbers BV. Synergistic combinations of clarithromycin with doxycycline or minocycline reduce the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in Rhodococcus equi. Equine Vet. J. 2021.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.13508pubmed: 34480367google scholar: lookup
  42. Huber L. Emergence of resistance to macrolides and rifampin in clinical isolates of Rhodococcus equi from foals in Central Kentucky, 1995 to 2017. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 2018;63:18.
    pmc: PMC6325176pubmed: 30373803
  43. Huber L. Prevalence and risk factors associated with emergence of Rhodococcus equi resistance to macrolides and rifampicin in horse-breeding farms in Kentucky, USA. Vet. Microbiol. 2019;235:243–247.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2019.07.010pubmed: 31383308google scholar: lookup
  44. Rhodes V. Diagnosis of respiratory disease in preweaned dairy calves using sequential thoracic ultrasonography and clinical respiratory scoring: Temporal transitions and association with growth rates. J. Dairy Sci. 2021;104:11165–11175.
    doi: 10.3168/jds.2021-20207pubmed: 34275625google scholar: lookup
  45. Jourquin S. Randomized field trial comparing the efficacy of florfenicol and oxytetracycline in a natural outbreak of calf pneumonia using lung reaeration as a cure criterion. J. Vet. Intern. Med. 2022.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.16348pmc: PMC8965221pubmed: 34994480google scholar: lookup
  46. Palma E, Tilocca B, Roncada P. Antimicrobial resistance in veterinary medicine: An overview. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020;21:1914.
    doi: 10.3390/ijms21061914pmc: PMC7139321pubmed: 32168903google scholar: lookup
  47. 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;30:1338–1343.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.13978pmc: PMC5094540pubmed: 27296082google scholar: lookup
  48. Cohen ND. Study of serum amyloid A concentrations as a means of achieving early diagnosis of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. Equine Vet. J. 2010;37:212–216.
    doi: 10.2746/0425164054530704pubmed: 15892228google scholar: lookup
  49. Passamonti F. Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals: An assessment of the early diagnostic value of serum amyloid A and plasma fibrinogen concentrations in equine clinical practice. Vet. J. 2015;203:211–218.
    doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.08.033pubmed: 25555337google scholar: lookup
  50. Giguère S, Hernandez J, Gaskin J, Miller C, Bowman JL. Evaluation of white blood cell concentration, plasma fibrinogen concentration, and an agar gel immunodiffusion test for early identification of foals with Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 2003;222:775–781.
    doi: 10.2460/javma.2003.222.775pubmed: 12675301google scholar: lookup
  51. Leclere M, Magdesian KG, Kass PH, Pusterla N, Rhodes DM. Comparison of the clinical, microbiological, radiological and haematological features of foals with pneumonia caused by Rhodococcus equi and other bacteria. Vet. J. 2011;187:109–112.
    doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2009.10.025pubmed: 19932977google scholar: lookup
  52. Hillidge CJ. Use of erythromycin-rifampin combination in treatment of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. Vet. Microbiol. 1987;14:337–342.
    doi: 10.1016/0378-1135(87)90121-0pubmed: 3314109google scholar: lookup
  53. Rakowska A. Less typical courses of Rhodococcus equiinfections in foals. Vet. Sci. 2022;9:605.
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci9110605pmc: PMC9698102pubmed: 36356082google scholar: lookup
  54. Bianchi MV. Causes and pathology of equine pneumonia and pleuritis in southern Brazil. J. Comp. Pathol. 2020;179:65–73.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2020.07.006pubmed: 32958150google scholar: lookup
  55. Muscatello G, Gilkerson JR, Browning GF. Detection of virulent Rhodococcus equi in exhaled air samples from naturally infected foals. J. Clin. Microbiol. 2009;47:734–737.
    doi: 10.1128/JCM.01395-08pmc: PMC2650914pubmed: 19144811google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,357 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.