Update on bacterial pneumonia in the foal and weanling.
Abstract: Bacterial pneumonia is a common cause of disease in both neonatal and weanling foals. The causal organism or organisms differ with the age of the foal, should be identified via microbiologic culture, and will ultimately dictate appropriate treatment. Initial treatment in neonates should be broad spectrum and bactericidal, whereas weanling age foals may receive more targeted treatment. The combination of a macrolide antibiotic and rifampin remains the gold standard for treatment of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia; however, resistance to these antimicrobials is a concern.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2015-01-16 PubMed ID: 25600452DOI: 10.1016/j.cveq.2014.11.004Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research article is about bacterial pneumonia in foal and weanling horses, the organisms causing it, how to identify them, and the best treatment methods, including the concern over antibiotic resistance.
Overview
In the study, the researchers focus on bacterial pneumonia, a prevalent disease condition in neonatal and weanling foals. The bacteria causing this disease differ depending on the age of the foal. Therefore, the study emphasizes the need for identification of the disease-causing bacteria through microbiologic culture before determining the right treatment.
Identification and Treatment
- The researchers explain that initial treatment in neonates should be broad spectrum and bactericidal. This means that treatment for this age category should target a wide range of bacteria and focus on killing them.
- As for weanling age foals, the treatment can be more precise and targeted since, at this age, the immune system is more developed and can aid in fighting off specific bacteria.
Gold Standard for Treatment
- The article states that the combination of a macrolide antibiotic and rifampin is still the most reliable method for treating Rhodococcus equi pneumonia, a common bacterial species that causes pneumonia in foals.
Antimicrobial Resistance
- Another critical concern discussed in the study is the issue of resistance to these antimicrobials. With the widespread use of antibiotics, many bacteria have developed resistance, making it hard to treat particular infections. Several factors contribute to this, including the overuse and misuse of antibiotics.
- This issue calls for continuous research and development of new antibiotics or alternative treatments to ensure that the issue of bacterial pneumonia in foals can be addressed effectively.
Cite This Article
APA
Reuss SM, Cohen ND.
(2015).
Update on bacterial pneumonia in the foal and weanling.
Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract, 31(1), 121-135.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cveq.2014.11.004 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 100136, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA. Electronic address: sreuss@ufl.edu.
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine, 4475 TAMU, College Station, TX 77845, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Actinomycetales Infections / drug therapy
- Actinomycetales Infections / microbiology
- Actinomycetales Infections / veterinary
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Pneumonia, Bacterial / drug therapy
- Pneumonia, Bacterial / microbiology
- Pneumonia, Bacterial / veterinary
- Rhodococcus equi / isolation & purification
Citations
This article has been cited 13 times.- Asin J, Carvallo F, Gonzales-Viera OA, Macías-Rioseco M, Streitenberger N, Abdelrazek S, Crossley B, Pesavento PA, Uzal FA. Interstitial pneumonias of undetermined etiology in foals in California, 1990-2020. J Vet Diagn Invest 2026 Jan 29;:10406387251410524.
- Junkkari R, Mykkänen A, Sulku P, Rantala M, Pohjanvirta T, Eklund M, Pelkonen S, Grönthal T. Occurrence, antibiotic susceptibility and genetic variation of Streptococcus zooepidemicus in Finnish weanling horses with and without respiratory infection. Acta Vet Scand 2026 Jan 27;68(1):7.
- Rossi HS, Mykkänen AK, Junnila JJT, Hyytiäinen HK. Pulse oximetry at two sensor placement sites in conscious foals. Acta Vet Scand 2025 Jan 23;67(1):6.
- 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.
- Rossi HS, Hyytiäinen HK, Junnila JJT, Rajamäki MM, Mykkänen AK. Factors affecting survival of foals with pneumonia in a referral hospital. BMC Vet Res 2024 Dec 18;20(1):562.
- Migliorisi A, Barger A, Austin S, Foreman JH, Wilkins P. Hyponatremia in horses with septic pneumopathy. J Vet Intern Med 2022 Sep;36(5):1820-1826.
- Rahman A, Uzal FA, Hassebroek AM, Carvallo FR. Retrospective study of pneumonia in non-racing horses in California. J Vet Diagn Invest 2022 Jul;34(4):587-593.
- Vail KJ, da Silveira BP, Bell SL, Cohen ND, Bordin AI, Patrick KL, Watson RO. The opportunistic intracellular bacterial pathogen Rhodococcus equi elicits type I interferon by engaging cytosolic DNA sensing in macrophages. PLoS Pathog 2021 Sep;17(9):e1009888.
- Willingham-Lane JM, Berghaus LJ, Berghaus RD, Hart KA, Giguère S. Effect of Macrolide and Rifampin Resistance on the Fitness of Rhodococcus equi. Appl Environ Microbiol 2019 Apr 1;85(7).
- Cywes-Bentley C, Rocha JN, Bordin AI, Vinacur M, Rehman S, Zaidi TS, Meyer M, Anthony S, Lambert M, Vlock DR, Giguère S, Cohen ND, Pier GB. Antibody to Poly-N-acetyl glucosamine provides protection against intracellular pathogens: Mechanism of action and validation in horse foals challenged with Rhodococcus equi. PLoS Pathog 2018 Jul;14(7):e1007160.
- Tirosh-Levy S, Gürbilek SE, Tel OY, Keskin O, Steinman A. Seroprevalence of Rhodococcus equi in horses in Israel. J S Afr Vet Assoc 2017 Jun 26;88(0):e1-e6.
- 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.
- Kalinowski M, Grądzki Z, Jarosz Ł, Kato K, Hieda Y, Kakuda T, Takai S. Plasmid Profiles of Virulent Rhodococcus equi Strains Isolated from Infected Foals in Poland. PLoS One 2016;11(4):e0152887.
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