Rhodococcus
The Jekyll and Hyde characteristics of actinobacterial genera are typified by the rhodococci. The persistent equine
pathogen Rhodococcus equi is ubiquitous in the environment, and grows rapidly in horse manure. It is thought that
the main route of infection is via the inhalation of R. equi from manure-contaminated dust. The infection proceeds in
the lungs, causing a pneumonia-like disease, especially in foals. The genome of R. equi is currently being sequenced
at the Sanger Centre in Cambridge, and the provision of such a resource may aid in the development of a vaccine.
Additionally, R. equi pneumonia is also emerging as a significant human pathogen in patients with HIV, yet
currently we know little about its pathogenicity in humans.
http://www.sgm.ac.uk/pubs/micro_today/pdf/050703.pdf