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Marutescu LG, Popa M, Gheorghe-Barbu I, Barbu IC, Rodríguez-Molina D, Berglund F, Blaak H, Flach CF, Kemper MA, Spießberger B, Wengenroth L, Larsson DGJ, Nowak D, Radon K, de Roda Husman AM, Wieser A, Schmitt H, Pircalabioru Gradisteanu G, Vrancianu CO, Chifiriuc MC. Wastewater treatment plants, an "escape gate" for ESCAPE pathogens. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1193907. [PMID: 37293232 PMCID: PMC10244645 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1193907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotics are an essential tool of modern medicine, contributing to significantly decreasing mortality and morbidity rates from infectious diseases. However, persistent misuse of these drugs has accelerated the evolution of antibiotic resistance, negatively impacting clinical practice. The environment contributes to both the evolution and transmission of resistance. From all anthropically polluted aquatic environments, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are probably the main reservoirs of resistant pathogens. They should be regarded as critical control points for preventing or reducing the release of antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) into the natural environment. This review focuses on the fate of the pathogens Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium difficile, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacteriaceae spp. (ESCAPE) in WWTPs. All ESCAPE pathogen species, including high-risk clones and resistance determinants to last-resort antibiotics such as carbapenems, colistin, and multi-drug resistance platforms, were detected in wastewater. The whole genome sequencing studies demonstrate the clonal relationships and dissemination of Gram-negative ESCAPE species into the wastewater via hospital effluents and the enrichment of virulence and resistance determinants of S. aureus and enterococci in WWTPs. Therefore, the efficiency of different wastewater treatment processes regarding the removal of clinically relevant ARB species and ARGs, as well as the influence of water quality factors on their performance, should be explored and monitored, along with the development of more effective treatments and appropriate indicators (ESCAPE bacteria and/or ARGs). This knowledge will allow the development of quality standards for point sources and effluents to consolidate the WWTP barrier role against the environmental and public health AR threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luminita Gabriela Marutescu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
- Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences Section, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Marcela Popa
- Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences Section, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Irina Gheorghe-Barbu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
- Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences Section, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ilda Czobor Barbu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
- Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences Section, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Daloha Rodríguez-Molina
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry, and Epidemiology – IBE, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Fanny Berglund
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research in Gothenburg (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Hetty Blaak
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Carl-Fredrik Flach
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research in Gothenburg (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Merel Aurora Kemper
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Beate Spießberger
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Wengenroth
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - D. G. Joakim Larsson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research in Gothenburg (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Dennis Nowak
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (CPC-M), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Katja Radon
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ana Maria de Roda Husman
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Andreas Wieser
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Heike Schmitt
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Gratiela Pircalabioru Gradisteanu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
- Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences Section, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
- Romanian Academy of Sciences, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Corneliu Ovidiu Vrancianu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
- Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences Section, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
- The Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania
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Forrester JD, Cao S, Schaps D, Liou R, Patil A, Stave C, Sokolow SH, Leo GD. Influence of Socioeconomic and Environmental Determinants of Health on Human Infection and Colonization with Antibiotic-Resistant and Antibiotic-Associated Pathogens: A Scoping Review. Surg Infect (Larchmt) 2022; 23:209-225. [DOI: 10.1089/sur.2021.348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D. Forrester
- Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Siqi Cao
- School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Diego Schaps
- School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Raymond Liou
- School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | | | - Christopher Stave
- School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Lane Medical Library, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Susanne H. Sokolow
- Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Giulio De Leo
- Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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Baghani A, Alimohammadi M, Aliramezani A, Talebi M, Mesdaghinia A, Douraghi M. Isolation and characterization of a multidrug-resistant Clostridioides difficile toxinotype V from municipal wastewater treatment plant. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE & ENGINEERING 2020; 18:1281-1288. [PMID: 33312642 PMCID: PMC7721768 DOI: 10.1007/s40201-020-00546-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is regarded as a potential source for transmission of Clostridioides difficile from urban areas into the surface water, through feces of human and animals. The aim of this study was to screen and characterize the C. difficile bacteria in inlet and outlet wastewater of different WWTPs in Tehran, Iran. METHODS Totally, 72 samples were collected from three different WWTPs (inlet site and outlet sites) during a year. C. difficile was isolated and characterized in terms of toxins, toxinotype, resistance profile and genes, and colonization factors using PCR. RESULTS One C. difficile toxinotype V was isolated from the outlet samples. The isolate was susceptible to vancomycin but resistant to metronidazole, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, and moxifloxacin using MIC Test Strips. The isolated C. difficile was toxigenic (tcdA, tcdB, cdtA, cdtB positive and CPE positive) and had tcdC-A genotype. No mutations were found in fliC and fliD. The slpA sequence type was 078 - 01. The C. difficile was positive for tetM, int, but negative for vanA, nim, and tndX genes. Mutations were not observed in gyrA and gyrB genes. CONCLUSIONS This study provided evidence of presence of a multidrug-resistant C. difficile toxinotype V in one of the municipal WWTP. The transmission of such isolate to the environment and reuse of treated wastewater by human pose a threat to human health and dissemination of antibiotic resistant bacteria which are untreatable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akram Baghani
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, PO Box: 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahmood Alimohammadi
- Center for Water Quality Research (CWQR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Aliramezani
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, PO Box: 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maliheh Talebi
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Mesdaghinia
- Center for Water Quality Research (CWQR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Center for Water Quality Research (CWQR), Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, PO Box: 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masoumeh Douraghi
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, PO Box: 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran
- Center for Water Quality Research (CWQR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Food Microbiology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Search for the Occurrence of Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens in Pigs Within Zaria and Environs, in Kaduna State, Nigeria. FOLIA VETERINARIA 2020. [DOI: 10.2478/fv-2020-0012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Animals have been known to be the main study subjects when investigating the epidemiology of zoonotic Gram-positive Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens. This cross-sectional study was aimed at determining the occurrence of C. difficile and C. perfringens in pigs as well as the associated risk factors within Zaria and environs, in Kaduna State of Nigeria. A pre-sampling survey led to the selection of Shika, Samaru and Ungwan Mangu in the pig farming communities of Zaria and environs in Kaduna North as the study sites. Rectal swabs from 132 pigs were obtained and anaerobically cultured in fluid thioglycolate and further grown on reinforced clostridia agar. The colonies obtained were sub-cultured in Clostridium difficile moxalactam norfloxacin agar and reinforced clostridia agar containing egg yolk tellurite. C. difficile was not detected. However, C. perfringens was detected at a prevalence of 16.7 % (22/132). Isolates were tested for their susceptibility to 13 antimicrobials. Only 1 isolate (4.55 %) demonstrated susceptibility to vancomycin, gentamicin, chloramphenicol and erythromycin. Of the bivariate analyses of the risk factors studied, only the type of piggery and pig management were statistically significant (P < 0.05) for C. perfringens. Therefore, it should be recognized that there is a need for pig farmers to be enlightened about this pathogen and its prevention through good management practices and hygiene.
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Knight DR, Riley TV. Genomic Delineation of Zoonotic Origins of Clostridium difficile. Front Public Health 2019; 7:164. [PMID: 31281807 PMCID: PMC6595230 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2019.00164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium difficile is toxin-producing antimicrobial resistant (AMR) enteropathogen historically associated with diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis in hospitalized patients. In recent years, there have been dramatic increases in the incidence and severity of C. difficile infection (CDI), and associated morbidity and mortality, in both healthcare and community settings. C. difficile is an ancient and diverse species that displays a sympatric lifestyle, establishing itself in a range of ecological niches external to the healthcare system. These sources/reservoirs include food, water, soil, and over a dozen animal species, in particular, livestock such as pigs and cattle. In a manner analogous to human infection, excessive antimicrobial exposure, particularly to cephalosporins, is driving the expansion of C. difficile in livestock populations worldwide. Subsequent spore contamination of meat, vegetables grown in soil containing animal feces, agricultural by-products such as compost and manure, and the environment in general (households, lawns, and public spaces) is contributing to a persistent community source/reservoir of C. difficile and the insidious rise of CDI in the community. The whole-genome sequencing era continues to redefine our view of this complex pathogen. The application of high-resolution microbial genomics in a One Health framework (encompassing clinical, veterinary, and environment derived datasets) is the optimal paradigm for advancing our understanding of CDI in humans and animals. This approach has begun to yield critical insights into the genetic diversity, evolution, AMR, and zoonotic potential of C. difficile. In Europe, North America, and Australia, microevolutionary analysis of the C. difficile core genome shows strains common to humans and animals (livestock or companion animals) do not form distinct populations but share a recent evolutionary history. Moreover, for C. difficile sequence type 11 and PCR ribotypes 078 and 014, major lineages of One Health importance, this approach has substantiated inter-species clonal transmission between animals and humans. These findings indicate either a zoonosis or anthroponosis. Moreover, they challenge the existing paradigm and the long-held misconception that CDI is primarily a healthcare-associated infection. In this article, evolutionary, and zoonotic aspects of CDI are discussed, including the anthropomorphic factors that contribute to the spread of C. difficile from the farm to the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Knight
- Medical, Molecular, and Forensic Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Thomas V Riley
- Medical, Molecular, and Forensic Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia.,School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Nedlands, WA, Australia
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6
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Candel-Pérez C, Ros-Berruezo G, Martínez-Graciá C. A review of Clostridioides [Clostridium] difficile occurrence through the food chain. Food Microbiol 2019; 77:118-129. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2018.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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7
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Diseases of the Alimentary Tract. Vet Med (Auckl) 2017. [PMCID: PMC7167529 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-7020-5246-0.00007-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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8
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Rodriguez C, Taminiau B, Van Broeck J, Delmée M, Daube G. Clostridium difficile in Food and Animals: A Comprehensive Review. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 932:65-92. [PMID: 27350639 DOI: 10.1007/5584_2016_27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Zoonoses are infections or diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans through direct contact, close proximity or the environment. Clostridium difficile is ubiquitous in the environment, and the bacterium is able to colonise the intestinal tract of both animals and humans. Since domestic and food animals frequently test positive for toxigenic C. difficile, even without showing any signs of disease, it seems plausible that C. difficile could be zoonotic. Therefore, animals could play an essential role as carriers of the bacterium. In addition, the presence of the spores in different meats, fish, fruits and vegetables suggests a risk of foodborne transmission. This review summarises the current available data on C. difficile in animals and foods, from when the bacterium was first described up to the present.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Rodriguez
- Department of Food Science, University of Liège-Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Avenue de Cureghem 10, bât 43bis Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium.
| | - B Taminiau
- Department of Food Science, University of Liège-Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Avenue de Cureghem 10, bât 43bis Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - J Van Broeck
- Belgian Reference Centre for Clostridium difficile (NRC), Pôle de microbiologie médicale, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - M Delmée
- Belgian Reference Centre for Clostridium difficile (NRC), Pôle de microbiologie médicale, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - G Daube
- Department of Food Science, University of Liège-Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Avenue de Cureghem 10, bât 43bis Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium
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Norman KN, Scott HM, Harvey RB, Norby B, Hume ME. Comparison of antimicrobial susceptibility among Clostridium difficile isolated from an integrated human and swine population in Texas. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2013; 11:257-64. [PMID: 24320797 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2013.1648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium difficile can be a major problem in hospitals because the bacterium primarily affects individuals with an altered intestinal flora; this largely occurs through prolonged antibiotic use. Proposed sources of increased community-acquired infections are food animals and retail meats. The objective of this study was to compare the antimicrobial resistance patterns of C. difficile isolated from a closed, integrated population of humans and swine to increase understanding of the bacterium in these populations. Swine fecal samples were collected from a vertically flowing swine population consisting of farrowing, nursery, breeding, and grower/finisher production groups. Human wastewater samples were collected from swine worker and nonworker occupational group cohorts. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on 523 C. difficile strains from the population using the commercially available agar diffusion Epsilometer test (Etest(®)) for 11 different antimicrobials. All of the swine and human strains were susceptible to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, piperacillin/tazobactam, and vancomycin. In addition, all of the human strains were susceptible to chloramphenicol. The majority of the human and swine strains were resistant to cefoxitin and ciprofloxacin. Statistically significant differences in antimicrobial susceptibility were found among the swine production groups for ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and clindamycin. No significant differences in antimicrobial susceptibility were found across human occupational group cohorts. We found that 8.3% of the swine strains and 13.3% of the human strains exhibited resistance to metronidazole. The finding of differences in susceptibility patterns between human and swine strains of C. difficile provides evidence that transmission between host species in this integrated population is unlikely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keri N Norman
- 1 Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University , College Station, Texas
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Álvarez-Pérez S, Blanco JL, Peláez T, Astorga RJ, Harmanus C, Kuijper E, García ME. High prevalence of the epidemic Clostridium difficile PCR ribotype 078 in Iberian free-range pigs. Res Vet Sci 2013; 95:358-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2013.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2013] [Revised: 06/20/2013] [Accepted: 06/25/2013] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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11
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Is the prevalence of Clostridium difficile in animals underestimated? Vet J 2013; 197:694-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.03.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2012] [Revised: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 03/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Characterization of swine isolates of Clostridium difficile in Spain: a potential source of epidemic multidrug resistant strains? Anaerobe 2013; 22:45-9. [PMID: 23764416 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2013.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2013] [Revised: 04/08/2013] [Accepted: 05/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Clostridium difficile is an emerging pathogen for humans and animals and there is concern about the possibility that livestock might serve as a reservoir of epidemic strains. In Spain, ribotype 078 is one of the most prevalent in human episodes of C. difficile infection, but the distribution of this and other ribotypes in animals is yet unknown. We present the first report on the ribotype distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of C. difficile in swine in Spain. A total of 144 isolates were PCR ribotyped, and their MIC values for 13 antimicrobial agents were determined using the Etest. Toxins A and B production was assessed using a commercial immunoassay and, in the case of toxin B, a specific cytotoxicity test. Our results show a high prevalence of the toxigenic 078 ribotype (94.4%) and multidrug resistance (49.3%) among the studied isolates. A minority of isolates (5.6%) belonged to a mostly non-toxinogenic ribotype. All isolates were resistant to the fluoroquinolone ciprofloxacin, but susceptible to daptomycin, linezolid, meropenem, rifampicin, teicoplanin, tigecycline, metronidazole and vancomycin. Resistance to clindamycin, ertapenem, erythromycin and moxifloxacin was common (≥27.8% in all cases). Resistance rates for the different antibiotics tested were in all cases independent from the ribotype of isolates and the host's condition (diarrheic or non-diarrheic), but erythromycin and moxifloxacin resistance was associated with the geographic origin of isolates. Metronidazole heteroresistance was found among animal isolates of C. difficile. Our results highlight the role of livestock as a potential source of epidemic multidrug resistant strains in Spain.
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Silva ROS, Ribeiro MG, Palhares MS, Borges AS, Maranhão RPA, Silva MX, Lucas TM, Olivo G, Lobato FCF. Detection of A/B toxin and isolation of Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens from foals. Equine Vet J 2013; 45:671-5. [PMID: 23452044 DOI: 10.1111/evj.12046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2012] [Accepted: 12/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
REASONS FOR PERFORMING THE STUDY Toxin detection and screening could contribute to knowledge of the transmission patterns, risk factors and epidemiology of Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens. OBJECTIVE To isolate C. difficile and C. perfringens and to detect A/B toxins in faecal samples from diarrhoeic and nondiarrhoeic foals. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional observational study. METHODS A total of 153 samples from foals were collected: 139 samples from farms and 14 samples from diarrhoeic foals admitted to a veterinary hospital. The A/B toxins were detected by cytotoxicity assay. All suspected colonies of C. perfringens were subjected to polymerase chain reaction for detection of the major toxin genes (α, β, ε and ι) and for detection of β2-, NetB- and enterotoxin-encoding genes. Furthermore, C. difficile and C. perfringens isolates were evaluated for in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility. RESULTS Seven of 153 (4.6%) samples, all from diarrhoeic foals, were positive for C. difficile A/B toxin. Of these, 5 of 14 (35.7%) were from hospitalised foals, and only 2 of 63 (3.2%) diarrhoeic foal samples were from farms (P = 0.002). Clostridium perfringens was isolated from 31 (20.3%) foals, of which 21 of 76 (27.6%) were diarrhoeic and 10 of 76 (13.2%) were nondiarrhoeic, demonstrating a difference between these 2 groups (P = 0.045). Only 4 strains were positive for the β2-encoding gene (cpb2). All C. difficile and C. perfringens isolates were susceptible to metronidazole and vancomycin. CONCLUSIONS The present report highlights the need for laboratory diagnostics to differentiate C. difficile-associated infection in foals from other causes of diarrhoea to facilitate adequate antimicrobial therapy. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE More studies are needed to clarify the role of C. perfringens as a primary agent of diarrhoea in foals.
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Affiliation(s)
- R O S Silva
- Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil
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Toxigenic Clostridium difficile PCR ribotypes from wastewater treatment plants in southern Switzerland. Appl Environ Microbiol 2012; 78:6643-6. [PMID: 22798376 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01379-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The occurrence of Clostridium difficile in nine wastewater treatment plants in the Ticino Canton (southern Switzerland) was investigated. The samples were collected from raw sewage influents and from treated effluents. Forty-seven out of 55 characterized C. difficile strains belonged to 13 different reference PCR ribotypes (009, 010, 014, 015, 039, 052, 053, 066, 070, 078, 101, 106, and 117), whereas 8 strains did not match any of those available in our libraries. The most frequently isolated ribotype (40%) was 078, isolated from six wastewater treatment plants, whereas ribotype 066, a toxigenic emerging ribotype isolated from patients admitted to hospitals in Europe and Switzerland, was isolated from the outgoing effluent of one plant. The majority of the isolates (85%) were toxigenic. Forty-nine percent of them produced toxin A, toxin B, and the binary toxin (toxigenic profile A(+) B(+) CDT(+)), whereas 51% showed the profile A(+) B(+) CDT(-). Interestingly, eight ribotypes (010, 014, 015, 039, 066, 078, 101, and 106) were among the riboprofiles isolated from symptomatic patients admitted to the hospitals of the Ticino Canton in 2010. Despite the limitation of sampling, this study highlights that toxigenic ribotypes of C. difficile involved in human infections may occur in both incoming and outgoing biological wastewater treatment plants. Such a finding raises concern about the possible contamination of water bodies that receive wastewater treatment plant effluents and about the safe reuse of treated wastewater.
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Antimicrobial resistance, toxinotype, and genotypic profiling of Clostridium difficile isolates of swine origin. J Clin Microbiol 2012; 50:2366-72. [PMID: 22518873 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.06581-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The occurrence of Clostridium difficile infections in patients that do not fulfill the classical risk factors prompted us to investigate new risk factors of disease. The goal of this study was to characterize strains and associated antimicrobial resistance determinants of C. difficile isolated from swine raised in Ohio and North Carolina. Genotypic approaches used include PCR detection, toxinotyping, DNA sequencing, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) DNA fingerprinting. Thirty-one percent (37/119) of isolates carried both tetM and tetW genes. The ermB gene was found in 91% of isolates that were resistant to erythromycin (68/75). Eighty-five percent (521/609) of isolates were toxin gene tcdB and tcdA positive. A total of 81% (494/609) of isolates were positive for cdtB and carry a tcdC gene (a toxin gene negative regulator) with a 39-bp deletion. Overall, 88% (196/223) of pigs carry a single C. difficile strain, while 12% (27/223) of pigs carried multiple strains. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of individual pigs found to carry more than one strain type of C. difficile. A significant difference in toxinotype profiles in the two geographic locations was noted, with a significantly (P < 0.001) higher prevalence of toxinotype V found in North Carolina (84%; 189/224) than in Ohio (55%; 99/181). Overall, the study findings indicate that significant proportions of C. difficile in swine are toxigenic and often are associated with antimicrobial resistance genes, although they are not resistant to drugs that are used to treat C. difficile infections.
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