Rhodococcus equi infection: A diverse spectrum of disease

Abstract

Rhodococcus equi is a gram positive bacterium most commonly presenting clinically as pneumonia, however can disseminate to cause disease in virtually any human tissue. Although it is predominantly an opportunistic pathogen, a number of case series have described infection occurring among individuals with a normal immune system. We describe two cases of Rhodococcus equi infection which highlight the diversity of disease presentations of this rare organism. Keywords: Rhodococcus equi, Human immunodeficiency virus, Opportunistic infection, Cavitating pneumonia, Soft tissue infection