Spread of Multidrug-Resistant <i>Rhodococcus equi,</i> United States
Sonsiray Álvarez‐Narváez, Steeve Giguère, Noah D. Cohen, Nathan M. Slovis, José A. Vázquez‐Boland
Abstract
R hodococcus equi is a soilborne facultative intracel- lular actinobacterium that causes pyogranulomatous infections in multiple animal species, including humans. Rhodococcal infection is particularly severe in young foals and immunocompromised persons, in whom it typically manifests as a life-threatening purulent bronchopneumonic disease (1-3). R. equi is able to colonize equids, pigs, and ruminants through 3 different host-specific virulence plasmid types (designated pVAPA, pVAPB, and pVAPN) (4). Analysis of the virulence plasmids carried by the isolates and comparison of genomic profiles indicate that human R. equi infections originate from animals (4-6).