Rhodococcus Equi Pneumonia: Prevention Pre and Post Partum

Considering the biology of R. equi in the environment on a horse breeding farm, a stunning ability of this bacterium to survive in soil and dust under dry and sunny conditions was already described in the early 20th century (Magnusson 1923, Takai et al. 1987, Muscatello et al. 2006).
Several farm management measures and their influence on the disease rates on endemic breeding farms have been evaluated. The effect of separation of sick foals from other foals, high hygiene and medical level in the perinatal period, remove manure from pastures and paddocks, reduction of dust and reduce animal density on the farm was investigated (Chaffin 2003). So far no specific farm management measures have been identified, which could account to a reduced morbidity of foals on R. equi endemic farms. The common characteristic of farms with endemic rhodococcosis is the high animal density. A numerous horse population on pastures, the high shedding of R. equi by infected foals in their manure increases environmental contamination. This does lead to a high infective challenge especially for foals as adult horses do not develop a clinical rhodococcosis. […]