to standard methods and the isolates were confirmed by PCR and characterized by agarose gel-based PCR-ribotyping method previously described.Results: C. difficile was isolated in two out of 56 (3.6%) of the healthy dogs tested. Those dogs were involved in AAIs with children, disabled and elderly people. Two different PCR-ribotypes (RT) were identified: RT078 and RT087.
Conclusion:The PCR-ribotypes of C. difficile detected in previous studies in dogs were RT001, RT009, RT010 and RT014. RT078 and RT087 were commonly isolated from humans and sometimes from other animal species than dog; especially RT078 is considered an emerging cause of human infections in the USA and in Europe, being the 3 rd most common type detected in hospitals. RT087 was identified as the predominant RT in a Hungarian hospital epidemiological study.Our results suggest that dogs may be a source of these ribotypes for humans and raise the question of the zoonotic potential of C. difficile. The role of dog-human interaction in the cross-transmission of this agent should therefore be further investigated.
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