Epidemiology of colitis induced by Clostridium difficile in hamsters: application of a bacteriophage and bacteriocin typing system.
The epidemiology of colitis induced by Clostridium difficile in hamsters was studied with a new bacteriophage and bacteriocin typing system. Fatal enterocolitis was induced by administration of N-formimidoyl thienamycin. Environmental cultures were obtained repeatedly throughout the experiments. Thirteen percent of 90 healthy hamsters were already colonized with C difficile on arrival from the supplier. Mortality from enterocolitis after antibiotic administration was 75% and was not diminished by use of a laminar-flow facility. The same uncommon bacteriocin type (83/1309/2329) of toxigenic C difficile that colonized hamsters on arrival was recovered from the cecal contents of all hamsters dying with enterocolitis and from most environmental isolates. Previously uncolonized , antibiotic-treated hamsters placed into cages where animals had died from enterocolitis also developed enterocolitis with the same bacteriocin type (83/1309/2329), an outcome suggesting acquisition of C difficile from the environment.
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000494:pharmacology; D001434:Bacteriophage Typing; D002432:Cecum / Q000382:microbiology*; D003013:Clostridium / Q000145:classification* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006224:Cricetinae; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D015378:Imipenem; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D013845:Thienamycins / Q000009:adverse effects*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001430:Bacteriocins; D013845:Thienamycins; D015378:Imipenem