Detection of A/B toxin and isolation of Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens from foals.
Equine Vet J
; 45(6): 671-5, 2013 Nov.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-23452044
ABSTRACT
REASONS FOR PERFORMING THE STUDY Toxin detection and screening could contribute to knowledge of the transmission patterns, risk factors and epidemiology of Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens. OBJECTIVE:
To isolate C. difficile and C. perfringens and to detect A/B toxins in faecal samples from diarrhoeic and nondiarrhoeic foals. STUDYDESIGN:
Cross-sectional observational study.METHODS:
A total of 153 samples from foals were collected 139 samples from farms and 14 samples from diarrhoeic foals admitted to a veterinary hospital. The A/B toxins were detected by cytotoxicity assay. All suspected colonies of C. perfringens were subjected to polymerase chain reaction for detection of the major toxin genes (α, ß, ε and ι) and for detection of ß2-, NetB- and enterotoxin-encoding genes. Furthermore, C. difficile and C. perfringens isolates were evaluated for in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility.RESULTS:
Seven of 153 (4.6%) samples, all from diarrhoeic foals, were positive for C. difficile A/B toxin. Of these, 5 of 14 (35.7%) were from hospitalised foals, and only 2 of 63 (3.2%) diarrhoeic foal samples were from farms (P = 0.002). Clostridium perfringens was isolated from 31 (20.3%) foals, of which 21 of 76 (27.6%) were diarrhoeic and 10 of 76 (13.2%) were nondiarrhoeic, demonstrating a difference between these 2 groups (P = 0.045). Only 4 strains were positive for the ß2-encoding gene (cpb2). All C. difficile and C. perfringens isolates were susceptible to metronidazole and vancomycin.CONCLUSIONS:
The present report highlights the need for laboratory diagnostics to differentiate C. difficile-associated infection in foals from other causes of diarrhoea to facilitate adequate antimicrobial therapy. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE More studies are needed to clarify the role of C. perfringens as a primary agent of diarrhoea in foals.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Clostridioides difficile
/
Infecciones por Clostridium
/
Clostridium perfringens
/
Enfermedades de los Caballos
Tipo de estudio:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Equine Vet J
Año:
2013
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Brasil