Albuquerque, C, Pagnossin, D, Landsgaard, K, Simpson, J, Brown, D, Irvine, JJ, Candlish, D, Ridyard, AE, Douce, G and Millins, C 
ORCID: 0000-0002-2006-092X
(2021)
The duration of antibiotic treatment is associated with carriage of toxigenic and atoxigenic strains of Clostridioides difficile in dogs.
PLoS One, 16 (5).
2021.01.12.426335-.
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is a leading cause of human antibiotic-associated diarrhoeal disease globally. Zoonotic reservoirs of infection are increasingly suspected to play a role in the emergence of this disease in the community and dogs are considered as one potential source. Here we use a canine case-control study at a referral veterinary hospital in Scotland to assess: i) the risk factors associated with carriage of C. difficile by dogs, ii) whether carriage of C. difficile is associated with clinical disease in dogs and iii) the similarity of strains isolated from dogs with local human clinical surveillance. The overall prevalence of C. difficile carriage in dogs was 18.7% (95% CI 14.8-23.2%, n=61/327) of which 36% (n=22/61) were toxigenic strains. We found risk factors related to prior antibiotic treatment were significantly associated with C. difficile carriage by dogs. However, the presence of toxigenic strains of C. difficile in a canine faecal sample was not associated with diarrhoeal disease in dogs. Active toxin was infrequently detected in canine faecal samples carrying toxigenic strains (2/11 samples). Both dogs in which active toxin was detected had no clinical evidence of gastrointestinal disease. Among the ten toxigenic ribotypes of C. difficile detected in dogs in this study, six of these (012, 014, 020, 026, 078, 106) were ribotypes commonly associated with human clinical disease in Scotland, while atoxigenic isolates largely belonged to 010 and 039 ribotypes. Whilst C. difficile does not appear commonly associated with diarrhoeal disease in dogs, antibiotic treatment increases carriage of this bacteria including toxigenic strains commonly found in human clinical disease.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Infectious Diseases, Digestive Diseases, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Prevention, 2.2 Factors relating to the physical environment, 2 Aetiology, Infection, 3 Good Health and Well Being |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 24 May 2021 10:58 |
| Last Modified: | 15 Mar 2024 17:11 |
| DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0245949 |
| Open Access URL: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245949 |
| Related URLs: | |
| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3123861 |
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