title: International Clostridium difficile animal strain collection and large diversity of animal associated strains.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clostridium difficile is an important cause of intestinal infections in some animal species and animals might be a reservoir for community associated human infections. Here we describe a collection of animal associated C. difficile strains from 12 countries based on inclusion criteria of one strain (PCR ribotype) per animal species per laboratory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Altogether 112 isolates were collected and distributed into 38 PCR ribotypes with agarose based approach and 50 PCR ribotypes with sequencer based approach. Four PCR ribotypes were most prevalent in terms of number of isolates as well as in terms of number of different host species: 078 (14.3% of isolates; 4 hosts), 014/020 (11.6%; 8 hosts); 002 (5.4%; 4 hosts) and 012 (5.4%; 5 hosts). Two animal hosts were best represented; cattle with 31 isolates (20 PCR ribotypes; 7 countries) and pigs with 31 isolates (16 PCR ribotypes; 10 countries).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This results show that although PCR ribotype 078 is often reported as the major animal C. difficile type, especially in pigs, the variability of strains in pigs and other animal hosts is substantial. Most common human PCR ribotypes (014/020 and 002) are also among most prevalent animal associated C. difficile strains worldwide. The widespread dissemination of toxigenic C. difficile and the considerable overlap in strain distribution between species furthers concerns about interspecies, including zoonotic, transmission of this critically important pathogen.
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Janezic
authors: Valerija
authors: V
authors: Zidaric
authors: Bart
authors: B
authors: Pardon
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Indra
authors: Branko
authors: B
authors: Kokotovic
authors: Jose Luis
authors: JL
authors: Blanco
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Seyboldt
authors: Cristina Rodriguez
authors: CR
authors: Diaz
authors: Ian R
authors: IR
authors: Poxton
authors: Vincent
authors: V
authors: Perreten
authors: Ilenia
authors: I
authors: Drigo
authors: Alena
authors: A
authors: Jiraskova
authors: Matjaz
authors: M
authors: Ocepek
authors: J Scott
authors: JS
authors: Weese
authors: J Glenn
authors: JG
authors: Songer
authors: Mark H
authors: MH
authors: Wilcox
authors: National Laboratory for Health, Environment and Food, Maribor, Slovenia. maja.rupnik@nlzoh.si.
authors: Maja
authors: M
authors: Rupnik
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D021521:Ribotyping; D013552:Swine