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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, April 2001, p. 1289-1293, Vol. 39, No. 4
Department of Veterinary Clinical
Sciences1 and Department of Veterinary
Microbiology and Pathology,2 College of
Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
99164; Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College
of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma
740784; and Department of Clinical
Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State
University, Raleigh, North Carolina 276063
Received 14 August 2000/Returned for modification 13 December
2000/Accepted 22 January 2001
Recently, a technique was described for amplification of
Rhodococcus equi-specific chromosomal and vapA
DNA from blood and tracheal wash fluids. It was hypothesized that this
technique would be more sensitive than standard culture techniques or
serology for diagnosis of R. equi pneumonia in foals.
Tracheal wash fluid, nasal swabs, whole blood samples, and serum
samples from 56 foals with pneumonia were analyzed. Final clinical
diagnosis was determined by the attending clinician on the basis of
final interpretation of all available information about each foal,
including clinical presentation, diagnostic test results, response to
therapy, and outcome. Clinical diagnosis was used as a final reference
standard for calculation of sensitivity, specificity, and predictive
values for PCR, serology using an agar gel immunodiffusion test, and tracheal wash fluid culture. PCR of tracheal wash fluid using primers
that recognized the vapA virulence plasmid of R. equi had a diagnostic sensitivity of 100% and specificity of
90.6%. Sensitivity and specificity were 57.1 and 93.8%, respectively, for standard microbiologic culture of tracheal wash fluid and 62.5 and
75.9%, respectively, for serology. PCR of tracheal wash fluid is more
sensitive and specific for diagnosis of R. equi pneumonia
than are other available diagnostic tests.
0095-1137/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.4.1289-1293.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Comparison of Nucleic Acid Amplification, Serology,
and Microbiologic Culture for Diagnosis of Rhodococcus equi
Pneumonia in Foals
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Veterinary Clinical Sciences Washington State University Pullman, WA 99164. Phone: (509) 335-0733. Fax: (509) 335-0880. E-mail:
dsellon{at}vetmed.wsu.edu
Present address: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School
of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, April 2001, p. 1289-1293, Vol. 39, No. 4
0095-1137/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.4.1289-1293.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
This article has been cited by other articles:
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Pusterla, N., Wilson, W. D., Mapes, S., Leutenegger, C. M.
(2007). Diagnostic evaluation of real-time PCR in the detection of Rhodococcus equi in faeces and nasopharyngeal swabs from foals with pneumonia. Vet Rec.
161: 272-274
[Full Text] -
Rodriguez-Lazaro, D., Lewis, D. A., Ocampo-Sosa, A. A., Fogarty, U., Makrai, L., Navas, J., Scortti, M., Hernandez, M., Vazquez-Boland, J. A.
(2006). Internally Controlled Real-Time PCR Method for Quantitative Species-Specific Detection and vapA Genotyping of Rhodococcus equi.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol.
72: 4256-4263
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