a
Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1 Canada
b Department of Pathobiology and Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1 Canada
b Department of Pathobiology and Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1 Canada
Abstract
Background:
Clostridium difficile is an important enteropathogen affecting humans,
domestic animals, and wildlife. The objectives of this study were to 1)
compare the prevalence and characteristics of C. difficile isolated from
the feces of raccoons trapped on swine farms and conservation sites, and 2) investigate the role of raccoons as potential reservoirs for host-adapted strains of C. difficile using a longitudinal study. Fecal swabs were collected from raccoons
at 5 conservation sites and 5 swine farms, once every five weeks, from
May to November, 2012. Results: Clostridium difficile was isolated from 9
% (38/444) of samples, from 12 % (37/302) of raccoons,
from all 10 sites. A total of 19 different ribotypes were identified,
including 5 ribotypes that matched recognized international designations
and which are also found in humans (001, 014, 056, 078, and 103).
Location type (farm or conservation area) was not associated with C.
difficile status (P = 0.448) but only 3 ribotypes (014, 056, and 078)
were found in both location types. The prevalence of ribotype 078 was
significantly higher on farms (4 %; 9/220) compared to conservation
sites (1 %; 2/225) (P = 0.034). Only one of 108 raccoons
caught in multiple sessions was positive on more than one occasion.
Conclusions: We found no evidence to support the hypothesis that raccoons harbour host-adapted strains of C. difficile; rather, it appears that raccoons transiently acquire C. difficile from the environment. Raccoons
are unlikely to be maintaining C. difficile, but because we detected C.
difficile strains that have the potential to cause illness in humans
and livestock, and because raccoons
can move relatively large distances, they may play a role in the
dissemination of pathogenic ribotypes of C. difficile throughout the
environment. © 2015 Bondo et al.
Author keywords
Clostridium difficile; Conservation area; Longitudinal study; Procyon lotor; Raccoon; Swine farm
ISSN: 17466148Source Type: Journal
Original language: English
DOI: 10.1186/s12917-015-0563-xDocument Type: Article in Press
Publisher: BioMed Central Ltd.
