A prospective study of the roles ofClostridium difficileand enterotoxigenicClostridium perfringensin equine diarrhoea

Abstract

Summary Faecal samples from adult horses and from foals with diarrhoea or with normal faeces were evaluated for the presence of Clostridium difficile, C. difficile toxins, C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) and C. perfringens spore counts. Clostridium difficile was isolated from 7/55 horses (12.7%) and 11/31 foals (35.5%) with colitis, but from 1/255 normal adults (0.4%) and 0/47 normal foals (P<0.001). Clostridium difficile toxins A and/or B were detected in 12/55 diarrhoeic adults (21.8%) and 5/30 diarrhoeic foals (16.7%) but in only 1/83 adults (1.2%) and 0/21 foals with normal faeces (P<0.001 and P<0.05, respectively). Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin was detected in 9/47 diarrhoeic adults (19%) and 8/28 diarrhoeic foals (28.6%), but was not detected in 47 adult horses (P<0.002) or 4 foals (P = 0.22) with normal faeces. The positive predictive value of isolation of C. perfringens with respect to the presence of CPE was only 60% in adult horses and 64% in foals. There was no association between total C. perfringens spore count and CPE in the faeces. The overall mortality rate from colitis was 22% for adult horses and 18% for foals. Clostridium difficile toxin‐positive adult horses with colitis were less likely to survive than C. difficile‐negative horses with colitis (P = 0.03). This study provides further evidence that C. difficile and enterotoxigenic C. perfringens are associated with equine enterocolitis.

Equine Colitis X Associated with Infection by Clostridium Difficile NAP1/027

“…Among patients with colitis, toxin-positive horses are less likely to survive than toxin-negative horses. 37 Clostridium difficile or its toxins were demonstrated in feces of 40% of mature horses that developed acute colitis after treatment with beta-lactam antibiotics. 5 Acute colitis caused by C. difficile has occurred in the dams of foals treated with erythromycin and rifampicin for Rhodococcus equi pneumonia.…”

Esophago-gastroduodenal ulceration complicated by duodenal perforation in a three year old Thoroughbred colt: a case report

“…Clostridium perfringens was found in the duodenal samples of this horse, but Clostridium perfringens occurs also in the feces of normal horses. However, an association with enterocolitic disorders has been statistically confirmed (Weese et al, 2001).…”

Free fecal water in the horse – an unsolved problem

“…al 1996). (Wierup 1977, Prescott et al 1988, Jones et al 1988, Madewell et al 1995, Weese et al 2001, Jones 2000. Der Clostridium perfringens Nachweis erfolgt zum einen über eine bakterielle Kultivierung und dem Nachweis von mehr als 100 kolonieformenden Einheiten pro Gramm Kot oder über den Nachweis der gebildeten Enterotoxine über Immunassays oder eine PCR zum Nachweis der für die Toxinbildung verantwortlichen Gene des Bakteriums (Wierup 1977und 1981, Daube et al 1996, Meer et al 1997, Netherwood et al 1998.…”