Journal of Veterinary Clinics (한국임상수의학회지)

The Korean Society of Veterinary Clinics (한국임상수의학회)
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Rhodococcus equi Infections in Foals

Rhodococcus equi에 의한 망아지 감염증

  • Song Hyun-Ho (Department of Veterinary Medicine, Cheju National University) ;
  • Moon Ja-Ho (Korea Racing Association) ;
  • Kang Tae-Young (Department of Veterinary Medicine, Cheju National University) ;
  • Son Won-Geun (Department of Veterinary Medicine, Cheju National University)
  • Published : 2006.06.01
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Abstract

This work described 3 infection cases caused by Rhodococcus equi in foals between 3 and 5 months of age. The disease histories were not fully taken from local veterinarians. At least 1 sick foal has been treated with cephalothins followed by penicillins during approximately 1 week, but died without effectiveness and other foals rearing with the animal have been suffering from severe pneumonia which show high fever, laboring respiration, cough and/or nasal discharge. There were many abscessations into lungs of 2 foals in postmortem examination and another 1 sample was pus collected from abscess around the shoulder, indicating the osteomyelitis. Those bacteria were grampositive coryneform and were identified as a R. equi by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers for R. equi-specific vapA gene. The pathogens were usually resistant to penicillin, ampicillin, amoxycillin/clavulanic acid, cefazolin, clindamycin, sulfamethoxazol/trimethoprim, kanamycin, and tetracycline, while were sensitive to ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, orfloxacin, gentamicin, erythromycin, neomycin, and vancomycin. Some more foals with respiratory symptoms in 1 horse farm were treated by orally administration with erythromycin during 2 weeks. Because the combination of erythromycin and rifampin has recommended as the treatment for R. equi infections in foals, the local equine veterinarian can choose those antibiotics for the treatment of this disease in future. However, another antimicrobial agent may be necessary if R. equi resistant to both agents is isolated.

Keywords

References

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