title: Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens from wild carnivore species in Brazil.
abstract: Despite some case reports, the importance of Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium difficile for wild carnivores remains unclear. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify C. perfringens and C. difficile strains in stool samples from wild carnivore species in Brazil. A total of 34 stool samples were collected and subjected to C. perfringens and C. difficile isolation. Suggestive colonies of C. perfringens were then analyzed for genes encoding the major C. perfringens toxins (alpha, beta, epsilon and iota) and the beta-2 toxin (cpb2), enterotoxin (cpe) and NetB (netb) genes. C. difficile strains were analyzed by multiplex-PCR for toxins A (tcdA) and B (tcdB) and a binary toxin gene (cdtB) and also submitted to a PCR ribotyping. Unthawed aliquots of samples positive for C. difficile isolation were subjected to the detection of A/B toxins by a cytotoxicity assay (CTA). C. perfringens was isolated from 26 samples (76.5%), all of which were genotyped as type A. The netb gene was not detected, whereas the cpb2 and cpe genes were found in nine and three C. perfringens strains, respectively. C. difficile was isolated from two (5.9%) samples. A non-toxigenic strain was recovered from a non-diarrheic maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus). Conversely, a toxigenic strain was found in the sample of a diarrheic ocelot (Leopardus pardallis); an unthawed stool sample was also positive for A/B toxins by CTA, indicating a diagnosis of C. difficile-associated diarrhea in this animal. The present work suggests that wild carnivore species could carry C. difficile strains and that they could be susceptible to C. difficile infection.
authors: Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Antônio Carlos Avenue, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG 31.270-901, Brazil. Electronic address: rodrigo.otaviosilva@gmail.com.
authors: Rodrigo Otávio Silveira
authors: RO
authors: Silva
authors: Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Antônio Carlos Avenue, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG 31.270-901, Brazil.
authors: Mirella Lauria
authors: ML
authors: D'Elia
authors: Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Antônio Carlos Avenue, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG 31.270-901, Brazil.
authors: Erika Procópio
authors: EP
authors: Tostes Teixeira
authors: Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Antônio Carlos Avenue, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG 31.270-901, Brazil.
authors: Pedro Lúcio Lithg
authors: PL
authors: Pereira
authors: Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Antônio Carlos Avenue, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG 31.270-901, Brazil.
authors: Danielle Ferreira
authors: DF
authors: de Magalhães Soares
authors: Centro de Reabilitação de Animais Silvestres (CRAS), Desembargador Leão Neto do Carmo Avenue S/N, Quadra 3, Lote 3, Campo Grande, MS 79.031-90, Brazil.
authors: Álvaro Roberto
authors: ÁR
authors: Cavalcanti
authors: Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Slovenia.
authors: Aleksander
authors: A
authors: Kocuvan
authors: Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Slovenia; National Laboratory for Health, Environment and Food, Maribor, Slovenia; Center of Excellence for Integrated Approaches in Chemistry and Biology of Proteins, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors: Maja
authors: M
authors: Rupnik
authors: Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Pará Avenue 1720, Jardim Umuarama, Uberlândia, MG 38.400-902, Brazil.
authors: André Luiz Quagliatto
authors: AL
authors: Santos
authors: Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Antônio Carlos Avenue, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG 31.270-901, Brazil.
authors: Carlos Augusto Oliveira
authors: CA
authors: Junior
authors: Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Antônio Carlos Avenue, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG 31.270-901, Brazil. Electronic address: flobato@vet.ufmg.br.
authors: Francisco Carlos Faria
authors: FC
authors: Lobato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics; D001938:Brazil; D002335:Carnivora / Q000382:microbiology*; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005838:Genotype; D060885:Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; D021521:Ribotyping
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial
keywords: Antimicrobial susceptibility; Canids; Captivity; Colitis; Felids