title: The use of streptolysin O (SLO) as an adjunct therapy for Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals.
abstract: Rhodococcus equi is a soil borne bacterium that causes severe morbidity and death in young foals. The economic costs of the disease include loss of life, treatment expenses, veterinary monitoring expenses and, perhaps most importantly, potential reduction in future athletic performance in horses that suffer severe lung abscessations caused by R. equi. Current standard of care for pneumonia caused by R. equi is treatment with a macrolide antimicrobial and rifampicin. However, the hallmark of pneumonia caused by R. equi is severe formation of pyogranulomas and a walling off effect that can prevent systemic antibiotics from reaching antimicrobial concentrations in lung tissues. It is hypothesized that streptolysin O (SLO) used as an adjunct therapy with antibiotics will reduce the duration and severity of disease caused by R. equi pneumonia compared to antibiotic therapy alone. Addition of SLO to the antibiotic enhanced clinical responses compared to the other groups, including the antibiotic alone group. Of particular significance were lower bacterial counts in the lungs and longer survival time in those foals treated with SLO and antibiotics.
authors.affiliation: Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States. DWHoro2@uky.edu
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Horohov
authors.forename: Alan T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Loynachan
authors.forename: Allen E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Timoney
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fettinger
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hatch
authors.forename: James G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Spaulding
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McMichael
mesh_terms: D000193:Actinomycetales Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D006736:Horses / Q000382:microbiology*; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D018942:Macrolides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016929:Rhodococcus equi / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012293:Rifampin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013301:Streptolysins / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018942:Macrolides; D013301:Streptolysins; C025964:streptolysin O; D005340:Fibrinogen; D012293:Rifampin