Evaluation of <i>Clostridium difficile</i> in dogs and the household environment

Weese, J. Scott; Finley, Rita; Reid-Smith, R. R.; Janecko, Nicol; Rousseau, Joyce D.

doi:10.1017/s0950268809991312

Cited by 104 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…All toxigenic strains identified in pets have been isolated from humans in Ontario, Canada. Although the prevalence of C. difficile in dogs and cats is low, the fact that all toxigenic strains are recognized human pathogens raises concern about interspecies transmission (205). Spores of C. difficile can also be detected in meat products and ready-to-eat salads (10,182,201,204), but there is no conclusive evidence that C. difficile contamination of food has led to clinical CDI in humans.…”

Section: Animals and Foods As Potential Sources Of C Difficilementioning

confidence: 99%

The Changing Epidemiology of Clostridium difficile Infections

et al. 2010

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SUMMARY The epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has changed dramatically during this millennium. Infection rates have increased markedly in most countries with detailed surveillance data. There have been clear changes in the clinical presentation, response to treatment, and outcome of CDI. These changes have been driven to a major degree by the emergence and epidemic spread of a novel strain, known as PCR ribotype 027 (sometimes referred to as BI/NAP1/027). We review the evidence for the changing epidemiology, clinical virulence and outcome of treatment of CDI, and the similarities and differences between data from various countries and continents. Community-acquired CDI has also emerged, although the evidence for this as a distinct new entity is less clear. There are new data on the etiology of and potential risk factors for CDI; controversial issues include specific antimicrobial agents, gastric acid suppressants, potential animal and food sources of C. difficile, and the effect of the use of alcohol-based hand hygiene agents.

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Section: Animals and Foods As Potential Sources Of C Difficilementioning

confidence: 99%

The Changing Epidemiology of Clostridium difficile Infections

et al. 2010

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“…C. difficile is widely recognized as a commensal and enteric pathogen in a wide range of host species (178)(179)(180). To date, C. difficile been recovered from numerous animal sources, including livestock (pigs, piglets, cows, calves, sheep, lambs, goats, and chickens), domestic animals (cats and dogs), equines (horses and foals), wildlife (rabbits, wild birds, shrews, raccoons, feral swine, ostriches, Kodiak bears, zebras, kangaroos, elephants, ibex, tamarin monkeys, and chimpanzees), and marine organisms (bivalve molluscs) (103,178,(181)(182)(183)(184)(185)(186)(187)(188)(189)(190)(191)(192)(193)(194)(195)(196). Many of these studies described differences in prevalence (particularly a decline with age), toxigenic status, antibiotic resistance, clonal lineage, and host susceptibility to disease, as well as differences in veterinary and agricultural practices (178,180).…”

Section: Animal Reservoirs and Zoonotic Potentialmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversity and Evolution in the Genome of Clostridium difficile

et al. 2015

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SUMMARY Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of antimicrobial and health care-associated diarrhea in humans, presenting a significant burden to global health care systems. In the last 2 decades, PCR- and sequence-based techniques, particularly whole-genome sequencing (WGS), have significantly furthered our knowledge of the genetic diversity, evolution, epidemiology, and pathogenicity of this once enigmatic pathogen. C. difficile is taxonomically distinct from many other well-known clostridia, with a diverse population structure comprising hundreds of strain types spread across at least 6 phylogenetic clades. The C. difficile species is defined by a large diverse pangenome with extreme levels of evolutionary plasticity that has been shaped over long time periods by gene flux and recombination, often between divergent lineages. These evolutionary events are in response to environmental and anthropogenic activities and have led to the rapid emergence and worldwide dissemination of virulent clonal lineages. Moreover, genome analysis of large clinically relevant data sets has improved our understanding of CDI outbreaks, transmission, and recurrence. The epidemiology of CDI has changed dramatically over the last 15 years, and CDI may have a foodborne or zoonotic etiology. The WGS era promises to continue to redefine our view of this significant pathogen.

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“…19 Multidrug-resistant bacteria Multidrug-resistant bacteria of public health importance have been found in people and companion animals. 20,21 Cross-sectional studies have shown pet owners to have a six-fold greater risk for colonization with extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli than people who do not own pets, 22 and pets owned by people with compromised immune systems are more likely to be colonized with Clostridium difficile than those owned by people with competent immune systems. 20 A similar increased risk was seen in dogs that visit human health care facilities, with acquisition of C. difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus two to five times more common than in dogs involved in other interventions.…”

Section: 18mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…20,21 Cross-sectional studies have shown pet owners to have a six-fold greater risk for colonization with extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli than people who do not own pets, 22 and pets owned by people with compromised immune systems are more likely to be colonized with Clostridium difficile than those owned by people with competent immune systems. 20 A similar increased risk was seen in dogs that visit human health care facilities, with acquisition of C. difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus two to five times more common than in dogs involved in other interventions. 21 The current thinking for these predominantly human pathogens is that people serve as the main reservoir, but that household pets become colonized or infected, thus serving as a secondary source for human infection.…”

Section: 18mentioning

confidence: 99%