Molecular epidemiology of Clostridioides difficile in domestic dogs and zoo animals

Low Clostridioides difficile positivity rate in wild animal shelter in Slovenia

Here we review literature on Clostridioides difficile in captive wild animals and describe results from a single wild animal shelter in Slovenia. C. difficile was found in four out of 22 samples from animals of 15 different species (mammals n = 3; birds n = 12). Isolates were cultured only from bird samples and typed as RT 078, 002, 014 and additional unknown type. All three known ribotypes are commonly shared between humans and/or animals and environment.

Clostridioides difficile infection: an emerging zoonosis?

INTRODUCTION

Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infection (CDI) is the most common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and one of the common infections in healthcare facilities. In recent decades, there has been an emerging threat of community-acquired CDI (CA-CDI). Environmental transmission of C. difficile in the community setting has become a major concern, and animals are an important reservoir for C. difficile causing human diseases.

AREAS COVERED

In this article, the molecular epidemiology of C. difficile in animals and recent evidences of zoonotic transfer to humans are reviewed based on an electronic search in the databases of PubMed and Google Scholar.

EXPERT OPINION

C. difficile can be found in stool from diarrheal dogs and cats; therefore, household pets could be a potential source. C. difficile will threaten human health because hypervirulent C. difficile ribotype 078 strains have been found in retail chickens, pig farms, and slaughterhouses. Risk factors for fecal C. difficile carriage in animals include young age, dietary changes, and antibiotic abuse in domestic animals. With the advent of whole genome sequencing techniques, there will be more solid evidence indicating zoonotic transfer of C. difficile from animals to humans.