Clostridium difficile in seafood and fish

Metcalf, Devon; Avery, Brent P.; Janecko, Nicol; Matic, Nancy; Reid-Smith, R. R.; Weese, J. S.

doi:10.1016/j.anaerobe.2011.02.008

Cited by 72 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…While C. difficile has been isolated from food, food-borne transmission of disease has not been demonstrated, even though the predominant strain types isolated in food are ribotypes 027 and 078, strains well established to cause human disease (197)(198)(199)(200)(201). One recent study reported C. difficile recovery from 5 out of 119 seafood and fish samples from a grocery store (all of which were of ribotype 078) (200); in contrast, a large survey that tested for C. difficile in 1,755 retail meat samples from across the United States (ground beef, ground turkey, chicken breast, and pork chop) found that no C. difficile was isolated from any of these specimens (198), which suggests a low prevalence of contaminated meat products. Thus, the true impact of food as a vehicle for C. difficile transmission remains to be clarified.…”

Section: Evolving Epidemiology Clinical Implications Of Strain Typingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile Infection: an Ongoing Conundrum for Clinicians and for Clinical Laboratories

2013

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SUMMARY Clostridium difficile is a formidable nosocomial and community-acquired pathogen, causing clinical presentations ranging from asymptomatic colonization to self-limiting diarrhea to toxic megacolon and fulminant colitis. Since the early 2000s, the incidence of C. difficile disease has increased dramatically, and this is thought to be due to the emergence of new strain types. For many years, the mainstay of C. difficile disease diagnosis was enzyme immunoassays for detection of the C. difficile toxin(s), although it is now generally accepted that these assays lack sensitivity. A number of molecular assays are commercially available for the detection of C. difficile . This review covers the history and biology of C. difficile and provides an in-depth discussion of the laboratory methods used for the diagnosis of C. difficile infection (CDI). In addition, strain typing methods for C. difficile and the evolving epidemiology of colonization and infection with this organism are discussed. Finally, considerations for diagnosing C. difficile disease in special patient populations, such as children, oncology patients, transplant patients, and patients with inflammatory bowel disease, are described. As detection of C. difficile in clinical specimens does not always equate with disease, the diagnosis of C. difficile infection continues to be a challenge for both laboratories and clinicians.

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Section: Evolving Epidemiology Clinical Implications Of Strain Typingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile Infection: an Ongoing Conundrum for Clinicians and for Clinical Laboratories

2013

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“…Previously, C. difficile was found both free in marine water columns (16,21) and in marine organisms, including plankton, shellfish, fish, otters, and a seal (21,(40)(41)(42). Detection of C. difficile in these organisms may arise following exposure to spores in contaminated water or by transmission through the food chain in marine ecosystems.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetically Diverse Clostridium difficile Strains Harboring Abundant Prophages in an Estuarine Environment

Hargreaves

Colvin

Patel

et al. 2014

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Clostridium difficile is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrheal disease in health care settings across the world. Despite its pathogenic capacity, it can be carried asymptomatically and has been found in terrestrial and marine ecosystems outside hospital environments. Little is known about these environmental strains, and few studies have been conducted on estuarine systems. Although prophage abundance and diversity are known to occur within clinical strains, prophage carriage within environmental strains of C. difficile has not previously been explored. In this study, we isolated C. difficile from sites sampled in two consecutive years in an English estuarine system. Isolates were characterized by PCR ribotype, antibiotic resistance, and motility. The prevalence and diversity of prophages were detected by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and a phage-specific PCR assay. We show that a dynamic and diverse population of C. difficile exists within these sediments and that it includes isolates of ribotypes which are associated with severe clinical infections and those which are more frequently isolated from outside the hospital environment. Prophage carriage was found to be high (75%), demonstrating that phages play a role in the biology of these strains.

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“…Food-borne transmission is possible as spores survive the recommended cooking temperature for ground meat (718C) 24 . Salads and vegetables are also contaminated with C. difficile spores 14,[25][26][27] . A plausible explanation for this is that C. difficile spores resist pond-based effluent treatment, the byproducts of which are applied to agricultural land and used in compost manufacture; there is evidence for this in Australian livestock operations 28 .…”

Section: Difficile In Animals and Foodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community-acquired Clostridium difficile infection and Australian food animals

2015

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Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic Gram positive spore-forming bacterium, the leading cause of infectious diarrhoea (C. difficile infection; CDI) in hospitalised humans. The assumption that CDI is primarily a hospital-acquired infection is being questioned. Community-acquired CDI (CA-CDI) is increasing1 particularly in groups previously considered at low risk2,3. In Australia, CA-CDI rates doubled during 2011 and increased by 24% between 2011 and 20124. Two potentially high-risk practices in Australian food animal husbandry may present a risk for CA-CDI: slaughtering of neonatal animals for food, and effluent recycling to agriculture.

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Clostridium difficile in seafood and fish

Cited by 72 publications

References 17 publications

Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile Infection: an Ongoing Conundrum for Clinicians and for Clinical Laboratories

Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile Infection: an Ongoing Conundrum for Clinicians and for Clinical Laboratories

Genetically Diverse Clostridium difficile Strains Harboring Abundant Prophages in an Estuarine Environment

Community-acquired Clostridium difficile infection and Australian food animals

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