Oral Administration of Electron-Beam Inactivated Rhodococcus equi Failed to Protect Foals against Intrabronchial Infection with Live, Virulent R. equi.
Abstract: There is currently no licensed vaccine that protects foals against Rhodococcus equi-induced pneumonia. Oral administration of live, virulent R. equi to neonatal foals has been demonstrated to protect against subsequent intrabronchial challenge with virulent R. equi. Electron beam (eBeam)-inactivated R. equi are structurally intact and have been demonstrated to be immunogenic when administered orally to neonatal foals. Thus, we investigated whether eBeam inactivated R. equi could protect foals against developing pneumonia after experimental infection with live, virulent R. equi. Foals (n = 8) were vaccinated by gavaging with eBeam-inactivated R. equi at ages 2, 7, and 14 days, or gavaged with equal volume of saline solution (n = 4), and subsequently infected intrabronchially with live, virulent R. equi at age 21 days. The proportion of vaccinated foals that developed pneumonia following challenge was similar among the vaccinated (7/8; 88%) and unvaccinated foals (3/4; 75%). This vaccination regimen did not appear to be strongly immunogenic in foals. Alternative dosing regimens or routes of administration need further investigation and may prove to be immunogenic and protective.
Publication Date: 2016-02-01 PubMed ID: 26828865PubMed Central: PMC4735123DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148111Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
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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.
This article presents a study which investigates the effectiveness of a vaccination method against Rhodococcus equi-induced pneumonia in foals. However, the researchers found that the treatment, which involved orally administering inactive R. equi, failed to offer substantial protection against infection with live, virulent R. equi.
Introduction and Objective of the Study
- The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a potential vaccination against Rhodococcus equi, a bacterium causing serious pneumonia in foals.
- There is no existing licensed vaccine for this disease, and the researchers explored the efficacy of orally administering an electron beam (eBeam)-inactivated form of R. equi, shown to provoke an immune response in previous studies.
Methodology and Results
- Eight foals were given the eBeam-inactivated R. equi through a method known as gavage (orally) at 2, 7, and 14 days old. Additionally, four foals were given saline solution by the same method as a control group.
- At 21 days old, all foals were infected intrabronchially (directly into the bronchi of the lungs) with live, virulent R. equi to test the broadly preventable effect of the earlier vaccine regimen.
- The results showed a high percentage of vaccinated foals developing pneumonia (7 out of 8, or 88%) while 75% (3 out of 4) unvaccinated foals also developed pneumonia.
Interpretation and Conclusion
- The fact that both vaccinated and unvaccinated foals notably developed pneumonia after being infected suggests the vaccination regimen may not be significantly immunogenic, meaning it does not sufficiently stimulate an immune response. Therefore, it appears to be ineffective in preventing R. equi pneumonia in these circumstances.
- The authors advise further investigation into other potential vaccination dosing plans or administration methods that could prove more successful in inducing immunity and protection against Rhodococcus equi-induced pneumonia in foals.
Cite This Article
APA
Rocha JN, Cohen ND, Bordin AI, Brake CN, Giguère S, Coleman MC, Alaniz RC, Lawhon SD, Mwangi W, Pillai SD.
(2016).
Oral Administration of Electron-Beam Inactivated Rhodococcus equi Failed to Protect Foals against Intrabronchial Infection with Live, Virulent R. equi.
PLoS One, 11(2), e0148111.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0148111 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843-4475, United States of America.
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843-4475, United States of America.
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843-4475, United States of America.
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843-4475, United States of America.
- Department of Large Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602-7385, United States of America.
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843-4475, United States of America.
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College Station, Texas, 77843, United States of America.
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843-4467, United States of America.
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843-4467, United States of America.
- National Center for Electron Beam Research-IAEA Collaborative Centre for Electron Beam Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, United States of America.
MeSH Terms
- Actinomycetales Infections / diagnostic imaging
- Actinomycetales Infections / veterinary
- Administration, Oral
- Animals
- Antibody Formation / immunology
- Antibody Specificity / immunology
- Bronchi / microbiology
- Electrons
- Horse Diseases / diagnostic imaging
- Horse Diseases / immunology
- Horses
- Immunity, Cellular
- Immunoglobulin G / metabolism
- Interferon-gamma / biosynthesis
- Leukocytes, Mononuclear / metabolism
- Nose / immunology
- Rhodococcus equi / physiology
- Treatment Outcome
- Ultrasonography
- Vaccination / veterinary
- Virulence
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
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