OBJECTIVE: To estimate prevalence and determine association between antimicrobia resistance and toxin gene profile of Clostridium difficile in commercial pigs at the preharvest food-safety level. ANIMALS: 68 sows and 251 young pigs from 5 farms in North Carolina and 3 in Ohio. PROCEDURES: Fecal samples were collected from sows (8/farm) and matched young pigs (32/farm) at farrowing and again at the nursery and finishing stages. Clostridium difficile isolates were tested for susceptibility to 6 antimicrobials. A PCR assay was used to detect genes coding for enterotoxin A (tcdA), cytotoxin B (tcdB), and binary toxin (cdtB). RESULTS: C difficile prevalence in young pigs at farrowing was 73% (n=183) with significantly higher prevalence in Ohio (875%) than in North Carolina (64%). Clostridium difficile was isolated from 32 (47%) sows with no significant difference between the 2 regions. A single pig had a positive test result at the nursery, and no isolate was recovered at the finishing farms. Resistance to ciprofloxacin was predominant in young pigs (91.3% of isolates) and sows (94%). The antimicrobial resistance profile ciprofloxacin-erythromycin-tetracycline was detected in 21.4% and 11.7% of isolates from young pigs and sows, respectively. Most isolates had positive results for tcdA (65%), tcdB (84%), and the binary toxin cdtB (77%) genes. Erythromycin resistance and tetracycline resistance were significantly associated with toxin gene profiles. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The common occurrence of antimicrobial-resistant C difficile and the significant association of toxigenic strains with antimicrobial resistance could contribute to high morbidity in farms with farrowing pigs.
OBJECTIVE: To estimate prevalence and determine association between antimicrobia resistance and toxin gene profile of Clostridium difficile in commercial pigs at the preharvest food-safety level. ANIMALS: 68 sows and 251 young pigs from 5 farms in North Carolina and 3 in Ohio. PROCEDURES: Fecal samples were collected from sows (8/farm) and matched young pigs (32/farm) at farrowing and again at the nursery and finishing stages. Clostridium difficile isolates were tested for susceptibility to 6 antimicrobials. A PCR assay was used to detect genes coding for enterotoxin A (tcdA), cytotoxin B (tcdB), and binary toxin (cdtB). RESULTS: C difficile prevalence in young pigs at farrowing was 73% (n=183) with significantly higher prevalence in Ohio (875%) than in North Carolina (64%). Clostridium difficile was isolated from 32 (47%) sows with no significant difference between the 2 regions. A single pig had a positive test result at the nursery, and no isolate was recovered at the finishing farms. Resistance to ciprofloxacin was predominant in young pigs (91.3% of isolates) and sows (94%). The antimicrobial resistance profile ciprofloxacin-erythromycin-tetracycline was detected in 21.4% and 11.7% of isolates from young pigs and sows, respectively. Most isolates had positive results for tcdA (65%), tcdB (84%), and the binary toxin cdtB (77%) genes. Erythromycin resistance and tetracycline resistance were significantly associated with toxin gene profiles. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The common occurrence of antimicrobial-resistant C difficile and the significant association of toxigenic strains with antimicrobial resistance could contribute to high morbidity in farms with farrowing pigs.
Authors: Alexander Schneeberg; Heinrich Neubauer; Gernot Schmoock; Sylvia Baier; Jürgen Harlizius; Hendrik Nienhoff; Katja Brase; Stefan Zimmermann; Christian Seyboldt Journal: J Clin Microbiol Date: 2013-09-11 Impact factor: 5.948
Authors: Keri N Norman; H Morgan Scott; Roger B Harvey; Bo Norby; Michael E Hume; Kathleen Andrews Journal: Appl Environ Microbiol Date: 2011-07-01 Impact factor: 4.792
Authors: Daniel R Knight; Sara Thean; Papanin Putsathit; Stan Fenwick; Thomas V Riley Journal: Appl Environ Microbiol Date: 2013-02-08 Impact factor: 4.792
Authors: Jessica M Healy Profitós; Arabi Mouhaman; Seungjun Lee; Rebecca Garabed; Mark Moritz; Barbara Piperata; Joe Tien; Michael Bisesi; Jiyoung Lee Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2014-11-28 Impact factor: 3.390