However, the only definitive way to confirm R. equi , as opposed to other bacterial pathogens, is culture of tracheal or bronchial fluid. The distinction between pneumonia caused by R. equi and that caused by other pathogens is important because the treatment approaches are different. Although time consuming to administer and expensive to produce or buy, this is the single most cost-effective measure to prevent the disease on farms with a high incidence of R. equi pneumonia. Vaccines against R. equi infections are not currently available. Clearly, R. equi can be a devastating problem on some horse farms.
Control is possible, but expensive.
It is also crucial that pneumonic foals are not sent to spread infection from enzootic farms to those farms with little contamination. Improved and less expensive control approaches in the long term will depend on a better understanding of why this disease attacks the young foal. Dr. Steve Giguere is a graduate research assistant in the Department of Pathobiology at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Canada.