Household pets as a potential reservoir for Clostridium difficile infection. Issue 1 (January 1983)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Borriello, S P; Honour, P; Turner, T; Barclay, F
• Is Part Of: Journal of clinical pathology. Volume 36:Issue 1(1983)
• Page Start: 84
• Page End: 87
• Publication Date: 1983-01
• Subjects: Pathology -- Periodicals; Pathology, Molecular -- Periodicals; 616.0705
• DOI: 10.1136/jcp.36.1.84
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-9746

Abstract

Abstract : The purpose of this study was to assess the carriage of Clostridium difficile by household pets to determine their potential as a reservoir of infection. The selective cycloserine-cefoxitin medium was used for C difficile isolation, and tissue culture used for detection of cytotoxin. Carriage of C difficile by household pets was found to be common (23%). The carriage tends to be transient and does not appear to be associated with gastrointestinal disease. Although carriage was higher in animals who had antecedent antibiotic treatment (31%) compared to those which had not (19%), the differences were not statistically significant. In most cases non-cytotoxigenic strains were isolated. Of the cytotoxigenic strains isolated at least one strain was pathogenic in a well documented animal model of human disease. Both cytotoxigenic and non-cytotoxigenic strains of C difficile could be isolated from the environment of the animals studied.