Eight adult cats were inoculated IV (n = 6) or SC (n = 2) with Ehrlichia risticii-infected P388Dl (continuous murine macrophage) cells or with E risticii released from P388D1 cells. Three additional cats were inoculated with organism-free P388D1 cultured monocytes, and 1 cat, which served as a medium control, was inoculated with balanced salt solution. Clinical signs of illness were observed in the IV inoculated cats from which E risticii was isolated. One cat developed intermittent diarrhea between postinoculation days (PID) 8 and 18, and the other cat developed lymphadenopathy, acute depression, and anorexia between PID 20 and 24. Ehrlichia risticii was isolated in cultures from 2 of 6 IV inoculated cats on PID 6, 10, and 17. Both cats were inoculated with E risticii released from the P388D1 cells. Ehrlichia risticii was not isolated from SC inoculated cats or from control cats. All 8 cats inoculated with E risticii seroconverted between PID 10 and 23. A pony inoculated with E risticii isolated from 1 of the inoculated cats developed clinical signs of equine monocytic ehrlichiosis including fever, anorexia, depression, and mild colic. Ehrlichia risticii was isolated from the blood of this pony on PID 7, 9, 11, and 16.

The pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of rifampin were determined after IV (10 mg/kg of body weight) and intragastric (20 mg/kg of body weight) administration to 6 healthy, adult horses. After IV administration, the disposition kinetics of rifampin were best described by a 2-compartment open model. A rapid distribution phase was followed by a slower elimination phase, with a half-life (t1/2[beta]) of 7.27 +/- 1.1 hours. The mean body clearance was 1.49 +/- 0.41 ml/min.kg, and the mean volume of distribution was 932 +/- 292 ml/kg indicating that rifampin was widely distributed in the body. After intragastric administration of rifampin in aqueous suspension, a brief lag period (0.31 +/- 0.09 hour) was followed by rapid, but incomplete, absorption (t1/2[a] = 0.51 +/- 0.32 hour) and slow elimination (t1/2[d] = 11.50 +/- 1.55 hours). The mean bioavailability (fractional absorption) of the administered dose during the first 24 hours was 53.94 +/- 18.90%, and we estimated that 70.0 +/- 23.6% of the drug would eventually be absorbed. The mean peak plasma rifampin concentration was 13.25 +/- 2.70 microgram/ml at 2.5 +/- 1.6 hours after dosing. All 6 horses had plasma rifampin concentrations > 2 microgram/ml by 45 minutes after dosing; concentrations > 3 microgram/ml persisted for at least 24 hours. Mean plasma rifampin concentrations at 12 and 24 hours after dosing were 6.86 +/- 1.69 microgram/ml and 3.83 +/- 0.87 microgram/ml, respectively. We tested 162 isolates of 16 bacterial species cultured from clinically ill horses for susceptibility to rifampin. All strains of coagulase-positive staphylococci, Streptococcus zooepidemicus, Str equi, Str equisimilis, Rhodococcus equi and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis were highly susceptible to rifampin (minimal inhibitory concentration [MIC] less than or equal to 0.25 microgram/ml).