Rhodococcus equi (Prescottella equi) vaccines; the future of vaccine development.

Summary

# Editorial Summary: Rhodococcus equi Vaccine Development Despite decades of research investment and strong backing from the equine breeding industry, developing an effective vaccine against *Rhodococcus equi* (now classified as *Prescottella equi*) remains an elusive goal for foal protection. Giles and colleagues reviewed the trajectory of vaccine approaches, from conventional strategies—including live, killed, and chemically or physically attenuated formulations—through to contemporary molecular-based options such as DNA plasmid, genetically attenuated, and subunit vaccines, all of which have demonstrated inadequate efficacy in preventing disease in foals. Bacterial vector vaccines represent the most promising development to date, with encouraging results emerging from murine models, suggesting this platform may overcome the limitations that have plagued previous approaches. For practitioners involved in foal management and disease prevention, these findings highlight why no universally effective vaccine currently exists and indicate that future protection strategies will likely depend on vectored vaccine technology rather than traditional immunisation methods. Understanding this landscape is essential for setting realistic expectations with horse owners and for identifying emerging vaccines worthy of field evaluation as research progresses.

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Key Findings

• •Traditional vaccine approaches (live, killed, attenuated) have proven ineffective for R. equi prevention in foals
• •Modern molecular vaccines (DNA plasmid, genetically attenuated, subunit) have shown inadequate protection despite theoretical promise
• •Bacterial vector vaccines have recently demonstrated promise in mouse models for R. equi vaccination

Conditions Studied

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