FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / J Equine Vet Sci / Rhodococcus Equi: Challenges to Treat Infections and to Miti...
Journal of equine veterinary science2023; 127; 104845; doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104845

Rhodococcus Equi: Challenges to Treat Infections and to Mitigate Antimicrobial Resistance.

Abstract: Rhodococcus equi, a gram-positive facultative intracellular pathogen and a soil saprophyte, is one of the most common causes of pneumonia in young foals. It poses a threat to the economy in endemic horse-breeding farms and to animal welfare annually. Many farms use thoracic ultrasonographic screening and antimicrobial treatment of subclinically affected foals as a preventive measure against severe R. equi infections. The wide use antimicrobials to treat subclinically affected foals has contributed to the emergence of multidrug resistant (MDR)-R. equi in both clinical isolates from sick foals and in the environment of horse-breeding farms. Alternatives to treat foals infected with MDR-R. equi are scarce and the impact of the emergence of MDR-R. equi in the environment of farms is still unknown. The aim of this review is to discuss the emergence of MDR-R. equi in the United States and the challenges faced to guide antimicrobial use practices. Reduction of antimicrobial use at horse-breeding farms is essential for the preservation of antimicrobial efficacy and, ultimately, human, animal, and environmental health.
Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2023-06-07 PubMed ID: 37295760DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104845Google 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
  • Review

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 study discusses the issues related to the treatment of pneumonia caused by Rhodococcus equi in young foals and the rising concern of multidrug-resistant R. equi due to overuse of antimicrobials. The extensive use of these drugs in horse-breeding farms has reportedly worsened the resistance problem, and this review considers strategies for reducing antimicrobial use to preserve their effectiveness and maintain human, animal, and environmental health.

Rhodococcus Equi Infections

  • Rhodococcus equi is a type of bacteria found in soil and is a significant cause of pneumonia in young foals. This condition greatly impacts both the economy of horse-breeding farms and the welfare of animals.
  • The bacteria poses a challenge for the survival of young foals, and as such, many horse-breeding farms rely heavily on thoracic ultrasonographic screening and antimicrobial treatments for proactive measures against severe infections.

Emergence of Multidrug-Resistant (MDR)-R. equi

  • The widespread use of antimicrobials, even in cases where foals are subclinically affected, has led to an emerging issue of drug resistance. Specifically, the overuse of these drugs has led to the development of multidrug-resistant R. equi.
  • The multidrug resistance is not only found in clinical isolates from sick foals but is also present in the environmental conditions of horse-breeding farms. The effect of the drug resistance on the farms’ environment remains under investigation.
  • Unfortunately, there are very few alternatives available for treating foals infected with MDR-R. equi, thereby compounding the problem.

Addressing the Challenge

  • This review aims to delve into the emergence of the MDR-R. equi epidemic in the United States and explore the challenges posed in guiding antimicrobial use practices.
  • The review emphasizes that reducing the use of antimicrobials on horse-breeding farms is critical for preserving their efficacy. Moreover, this is not only significant for the health of the animals but also for human and environmental health.

Cite This Article

APA
Higgins C, Huber L. (2023). Rhodococcus Equi: Challenges to Treat Infections and to Mitigate Antimicrobial Resistance. J Equine Vet Sci, 127, 104845. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104845

Publication

Journal of equine veterinary science
ISSN: 0737-0806
NlmUniqueID: 8216840
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 127
Pages: 104845
PII: S0737-0806(23)00652-4

Researcher Affiliations

Higgins, Courtney
  • Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL. Electronic address: cmh0101@auburn.edu.
Huber, Laura
  • Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL. Electronic address: lzh0067@auburn.edu.

MeSH Terms

  • Humans
  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial
  • Rhodococcus equi
  • Actinomycetales Infections / drug therapy
  • Actinomycetales Infections / veterinary
  • Horse Diseases / drug therapy
  • Horse Diseases / epidemiology

Conflict of Interest Statement

Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Citations

This article has been cited 7 times.
  1. Zanilabdin M, Ilgekbayeva G, Otarbayev B, Nissanova R, Mussayeva G, Takai S, Suzuki Y, Kakuda T, Kurman S, Kassymov Y, Valiyeva B. Integrated molecular and serological survey of Rhodococcus equi in horses from three regions of Kazakhstan. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1650186.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1650186pubmed: 41195079google scholar: lookup
  2. 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.
    doi: 10.1111/jvp.70007pubmed: 40552784google scholar: lookup
  3. Godoi APDS, Sobral GG, da Silva Vieira JC, Carneiro GF, Conceição FR, da Silva ER, Mendonça M. Phenotypical and molecular characterization of Rhodococcus equi isolated from foals in the Agreste region of Pernambuco - Brazil. Braz J Microbiol 2025 Jun;56(2):1321-1331.
    doi: 10.1007/s42770-025-01640-xpubmed: 40048142google scholar: lookup
  4. Ribeiro NG, Silva PD, de Lima Paz PJ, Arabe Filho MF, Listoni FP, Listoni EP, Panegossi LC, Ribeiro MG. In vitro susceptibility pattern of Rhodococcus equi isolated from patients to antimicrobials recommended exclusively to humans, to domestic animals and to both. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo 2025;67:e3.
    doi: 10.1590/S1678-9946202567003pubmed: 39907395google scholar: lookup
  5. Egli P, Boone L, Huber L, Higgins C, Gaonkar PP, Arrington J, Naskou MC, Peroni J, Gordon J, Lascola KM. Pilot study characterizing a single pooled preparation of equine platelet lysate for nebulization in the horse. Front Vet Sci 2024;11:1488942.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1488942pubmed: 39726585google scholar: lookup
  6. Khlebnikova A, Kirshina A, Zakharova N, Ivanov R, Reshetnikov V. Current Progress in the Development of mRNA Vaccines Against Bacterial Infections. Int J Mol Sci 2024 Dec 6;25(23).
    doi: 10.3390/ijms252313139pubmed: 39684849google scholar: lookup
  7. Vandersnickt J, Van PJ, Vandamme S, Kenyon C, Florence E, Van Ierssel S, Vlieghe E, Theunissen C. Rhodococcus equi, an Unusual Human Pathogen That Causes Cavitating Pneumonia in Patients With AIDS. Case Rep Infect Dis 2024;2024:5570186.
    doi: 10.1155/2024/5570186pubmed: 39545099google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,357 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.