title: Cross-sectional study reveals high prevalence of Clostridium difficile non-PCR ribotype 078 strains in Australian veal calves at slaughter.
abstract: Recent reports in North America and Europe of Clostridium difficile being isolated from livestock and retail meats of bovine origin have raised concerns about the risk to public health. To assess the situation in Australia, we investigated the prevalence and genetic diversity of C. difficile in adult cattle and calves at slaughter. Carcass washings, gastrointestinal contents, and feces were collected from abattoirs across five Australian states. Selective culture, toxin profiling, and PCR ribotyping were performed. The prevalence of C. difficile was 56% (203/360 samples) in feces from <7-day-old calves, 3.8% (1/26) in 2- to 6-month-old calves, and 1.8% (5/280) in adult cattle. Three PCR ribotypes (RTs), RT127, RT033, and RT126, predominated in <7-day-old calves and comprised 77.8% (158/203 samples) of isolates. RT056, which has not been reported in cattle before, was found in 16 <7-day-old calves (7.7%). Surprisingly, RT078 strains, which dominate production animal carriage studies in the Northern Hemisphere, were not isolated.
authors: Microbiology & Immunology, School of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
authors: Daniel R
authors: DR
authors: Knight
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Thean
authors: Papanin
authors: P
authors: Putsathit
authors: Stan
authors: S
authors: Fenwick
authors: Thomas V
authors: TV
authors: Riley
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D002417:Cattle / Q000382:microbiology*; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents / Q000382:microbiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008461:Meat Products / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary*; D015995:Prevalence; D021521:Ribotyping
references: J Med Microbiol. 2011 Aug;60(Pt 8):1188-1192
references: 21436371
references: Vet Microbiol. 2011 Sep 28;152(3-4):379-84
references: 21641131
references: J Clin Microbiol. 2010 Oct;48(10):3744-9
references: 20686080
references: Clin Microbiol Infect. 2012 Aug;18(8):778-84
references: 21919997
references: Emerg Infect Dis. 2009 May;15(5):802-5
references: 19402975
references: J Med Microbiol. 2005 Feb;54(Pt 2):181-185
references: 15673514
references: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2012 Dec;78(24):8515-22
references: 23001653
references: BMC Infect Dis. 2011 Jul 15;11:194
references: 21762504
references: J Clin Microbiol. 1998 Aug;36(8):2178-82
references: 9665986
references: Gene. 1996 Nov 28;181(1-2):29-38
references: 8973304
references: Clin Microbiol Infect. 2012 Jul;18(7):635-45
references: 22536816
references: J Hosp Infect. 2012 May;81(1):1-14
references: 22498638
references: Vet Microbiol. 2011 Dec 15;153(3-4):205-17
references: 21530110
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Apr 20;107(16):7527-32
references: 20368420
references: PLoS One. 2011;6(5):e19993
references: 21625511
references: Vet Microbiol. 2008 Mar 18;127(3-4):343-52
references: 17964088
references: Med J Aust. 2009 Jun 15;190(12):661-2
references: 19527197
references: J Clin Microbiol. 1991 Jan;29(1):33-7
references: 1993763
references: Emerg Infect Dis. 2006 Nov;12(11):1730-6
references: 17283624
references: J Clin Microbiol. 2007 Jun;45(6):1963-4
references: 17428945
references: FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2000 May 15;186(2):307-12
references: 10802189
references: Anaerobe. 2009 Dec;15(6):252-5
references: 19632350
references: PLoS One. 2012;7(3):e31559
references: 22396735
references: Anaerobe. 2012 Dec;18(6):621-5
references: 23041559
references: Lancet. 2011 Jan 1;377(9759):63-73
references: 21084111
references: J Med Microbiol. 2011 Aug;60(Pt 8):1108-1111
references: 21393460
references: J Clin Microbiol. 1999 Feb;37(2):461-3
references: 9889244
references: Nat Rev Microbiol. 2009 Jul;7(7):526-36
references: 19528959
references: Clin Microbiol Infect. 2010 Jan;16(1):3-10
references: 20002685
references: J Food Prot. 2010 May;73(5):973-5
references: 20501051
references: Vet Microbiol. 2011 Apr 21;149(1-2):186-92
references: 21111541
references: J Clin Microbiol. 2008 Jun;46(6):2146
references: 18417662
references: Am J Gastroenterol. 2012 Jan;107(1):89-95
references: 22108454
references: Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 1988 Aug;7(4):476-84
references: 3141153
references: Emerg Infect Dis. 2008 Jul;14(7):1039-45
references: 18598622
references: Aust Vet J. 2009 Jun;87(6):222-9
references: 19489779
references: Pathology. 1983 Apr;15(2):165-7
references: 6888964
references: Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2012 Jan;9(1):32-6
references: 21988399
references: Clin Infect Dis. 2010 Sep 1;51(5):583-4
references: 20642350
references: Am J Vet Res. 2010 Oct;71(10):1189-94
references: 20919905