title: Isolation and characterization of Clostridium difficile from shellfish and marine environments.
abstract: This pilot study was carried out to evaluate the occurrence of Clostridium difficile in marine environments and in edible shellfish. Samples of seawater, sediment, and zooplankton were collected at five sampling stations in the Gulf of Naples. Six samples of edible shellfish, furthermore, were obtained: two from mussel farms and four from wholesalers. The isolation and the characterization of C. difficile strains were carried out using selective media and molecular techniques, respectively. C. difficile was isolated from nine of the 21 samples investigated. Shellfish and zooplankton showed the highest prevalence of positive samples. No C. difficile was detected in marine sediment. Majority of the C. difficile isolates were toxin A/B positive. Six known different PCR ribotypes (003, 005, 009, 010, 056, and 066) were identified, whereas one strain may represent a new PCR ribotype. C. difficile may be present in the marine environment in Southern Italy, including shellfish and zooplankton. This study is reporting the isolation of C. difficile from zooplankton, clams, and mussels and pointing out a new possible route to exposure to C. difficile of healthy individuals in the community.
authors: Department of Environmental Sciences, Parthenope University, Naples, Italy.
authors: Vincenzo
authors: V
authors: Pasquale
authors: Vincenza Jessica
authors: VJ
authors: Romano
authors: Maja
authors: M
authors: Rupnik
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Dumontet
authors: Ivan
authors: I
authors: Cižnár
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Aliberti
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Mauri
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Saggiomo
authors: Karel
authors: K
authors: Krovacek
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000382:microbiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008974:Mollusca / Q000382:microbiology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D021521:Ribotyping / Q000379:methods; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology; D012758:Shellfish / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; C041348:tcdA protein, Clostridium difficile; C031815:toxB protein, Clostridium difficile