title: Clostridium difficile ribotypes in humans and animals in Brazil.
abstract: Clostridium difficile is an emerging enteropathogen responsible for pseudomembranous colitis in humans and diarrhoea in several domestic and wild animal species. Despite its known importance, there are few studies about C. difficile polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ribotypes in Brazil and the actual knowledge is restricted to studies on human isolates. The aim of the study was therefore to compare C. difficile ribotypes isolated from humans and animals in Brazil. Seventy-six C. difficile strains isolated from humans (n = 25), dogs (n = 23), piglets (n = 12), foals (n = 7), calves (n = 7), one cat, and one manned wolf were distributed into 24 different PCR ribotypes. Among toxigenic strains, PCR ribotypes 014/020 and 106 were the most common, accounting for 14 (18.4%) and eight (10.5%) samples, respectively. Fourteen different PCR ribotypes were detected among human isolates, nine of them have also been identified in at least one animal species. PCR ribotype 027 was not detected, whereas 078 were found only in foals. This data suggests a high diversity of PCR ribotypes in humans and animals in Brazil and support the discussion of C. difficile as a zoonotic pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Otávio Silveira
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rupnik
authors.affiliation: Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Amanda Nádia
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Diniz
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Eduardo Garcia
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Vilela
authors.affiliation: Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Francisco Carlos Faria
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Lobato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D002415:Cats; D002417:Cattle; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D062126:Databases, Chemical; D004285:Dogs; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D021521:Ribotyping; D013552:Swine; D019596:Wolves
chemical_list: D012329:RNA, Bacterial