Molecular epidemiology of Clostridioides difficile in companion animals: Genetic overlap with human strains and public health concerns.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The changing epidemiology of Clostridioides difficile reflects a well-established and intricate community transmission network. With rising numbers of reported community-acquired infections, recent studies tried to identify the role played by non-human reservoirs in the pathogen's transmission chain. This study aimed at describing the C. difficile strains circulating in canine and feline populations, and to evaluate their genetic overlap with human strains to assess the possibility of interspecies transmission.

Methods

Fecal samples from dogs (n = 335) and cats (n = 140) were collected from two populations (group A and group B) in Portugal. C. difficile isolates were characterized for toxigenic profile and PCR-ribotyping. The p

SUBMITTER: Alves F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9853383 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature