Tackling Antibiotic-Resistant Foal Pneumonia

Rhodococcus equi, a naturally occurring bacterium in soil, is a common cause of severe and often fatal pneumonia in foals. Antibiotic-resistant R. equi is an emerging treatment challenge. A practical, long-term solution to this health concern is to decrease widespread use of commonly used antibiotics in foals with pneumonia. Researchers recently showed that gallium maltolate, a semi-metal compound with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, is highly active against R. equi. In this clinical trial, researchers will determine if gallium maltolate administered to client-owned foals with pneumonia minimizes the development of antibioticresistant bacteria in the gut as measured in stool and soil samples. Gallium maltolate holds promise as a new treatment to help mitigate the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of R. equi – especially important to farms endemic for this difficult-to-treat bacteria.