First confirmed case of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea in foals in Brazil

Abstract

<jats:p>Despite of the substantial role of Clostridium difficile in causing diarrhea and colitis in foals, there have been no confirmed diagnoses of disease caused by this bacteria in Brazil. In this paper, we describe confirmed cases of colitis caused by C. difficile in two foals in Brazil. Two five-month-old foals with a five-day history of diarrhea after antibiotic treatment for a respiratory disease were treated at the Veterinary Hospital of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. C. difficile A/B toxins were detected, and toxigenic strains of C. difficile were isolated from the foals' feces. The treatment was based on fluid therapy and antibiotics (metronidazole and ceftiofur), and the animals experienced a gradual recovery. The association between the medical history, clinical signs, laboratory exam results and therapeutic success confirmed the diagnosis of C. difficile-associated diarrhea. The present report raises the possibility that C. difficile is also a pathogen in equines in Brazil and highlights the need for up to date routine laboratory protocols for the diagnosis of this disease.</jats:p>

Detection of A/B toxin and isolation of Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens from foals

“…Two foals positive for A/B toxins had a history of diarrhoea 2 days after antimicrobial treatment with penicillin G for clinical suspicion of pneumonia. These cases were also the first confirmed description of C. difficile infection in foals in Brazil . Among the animals examined, there were no data about antimicrobial administration or clinical history for one positive foal that was sampled on a farm.…”

Evaluation of three enzyme immunoassays and a nucleic acid amplification test for the diagnosis of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea at a university hospital in Brazil

“…It is also important to note that no standard protocol exists for CTAs. In this study, Vero cells were used; this cell line is considered to be the most sensitive to A/B toxins, and a similar CTA protocol was used successfully in previous studies 6,8,[12][13][14][15] .…”

Clostridium difficile infection: main features and occurrence in domestic species in Brazil

“…There are currently only two diagnostic descriptions of C. difficile infections in foals in Brazil (PREIS et al, 2012;SILVA et al, 2012), both at Minas Gerais. The prevalence of the disease in adult horses and foals remains unclear in Brazil because of a lack of epidemiological surveys.…”

“…The prevalence of the disease in adult horses and foals remains unclear in Brazil because of a lack of epidemiological surveys. SILVA et al (2012) reported the occurrence of diarrhea in three five-month-old animals two days after the administration of penicillin to treat suspected pneumonia. PREIS et al (2012) have already described a case of C. difficile enteritis that was associated with candidiasis and prolonged antibiotic therapy in a 12-day-old animal.…”