Successful treatment of Rhodococcus equi pulmonary infection in a renal transplant recipient

The rhodococcus is a mycobacterium-like organism which is normally a pathog en in foals. It usually spreads by direct contact or by aerosol from horse faeces and causes pyogranulomatous pulmonary infections. Occasionally, it a cts opportunistically to infect immuno-compromised human hosts, most common ly those with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).(1,2) Here we report a pulmonary infection by Rhodococcus equi in a renal transplant reci pient who was successfully treated. The literature on this infection in tra nsplant recipients is also reviewed with respect to manifestations and trea tment.