Clostridium difficile genotypes in piglet populations in Germany

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Microbiology
• Zoonotic Disease Epidemiology
• Molecular Epidemiology

Background:

• Clostridium difficile is an important cause of enteric disease in humans and animals.
• Understanding the prevalence and genetic diversity of C. difficile in livestock is crucial for public health.
• Piglets are a potential reservoir for C. difficile, including strains relevant to human infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence and characterize Clostridium difficile strains isolated from piglets in Germany.
• To investigate the association between C. difficile isolation and factors such as animal age, antibiotic treatment, and diarrhea.
• To compare the genetic relatedness of porcine C. difficile isolates with human and other animal isolates.

Main Methods:

• Rectal swabs were collected from 201 piglets on 15 farms in Germany.
• Clostridium difficile was isolated and identified using bacterial culture.
• Strains were characterized by PCR ribotyping and multilocus VNTR analysis (MLVA).

Main Results:

• Clostridium difficile was detected in 73% of piglets, with prevalence varying by age.
• PCR ribotypes 078 (55%) and 126 (20%) were the most common, found on 13 of 14 positive farms.
• MLVA analysis revealed genetic similarities between human and porcine C. difficile isolates of the same geographical origin.

Conclusions:

• Human-pathogenic PCR ribotypes 078 and 126 are predominant in German piglets.
• The presence of C. difficile in piglets is primarily associated with animal age.
• A close epidemiological connection exists between human and porcine C. difficile isolates, highlighting potential zoonotic transmission routes.