Isolation of Clostridium perfringens and Clostridioides difficile in diarrheic and nondiarrheic cats

Clostridium perfringens and Clostridioides difficile cause significant morbidity and mortality in foals. Antemortem diagnosis of C. perfringens infection has been complicated by a paucity of tests available for toxin detection. Fecal PCR panels have assays for a variety of C. perfringens toxin gene sequences as well as for several other foal gastrointestinal pathogens. We evaluated results of a comprehensive fecal diarrhea PCR panel in 28 foals that had been presented to a referral hospital because of diarrhea. Sixteen (57%) foals were positive for C. perfringens and/or C. difficile toxin gene sequences on fecal PCR, including 3 foals positive for NetF toxin. These foals were younger ( p = 0.0029) and had higher hematocrits ( p = 0.0087), hemoglobin ( p = 0.0067), and red blood cell concentrations ( p = 0.028) than foals with diarrhea that tested negative for clostridial toxins. The foals had lower total protein concentrations ( p = 0.045) and were more likely to have band neutrophils on a CBC ( p = 0.013; OR: 16.2). All 3 foals with NetF toxin gene sequences detected in feces survived to discharge, indicating that diarrhea caused by NetF toxigenic C. perfringens isolates is not uniformly fatal.

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Fecal shedding of Salmonella spp., Clostridium perfringens, and Clostridioides difficile in dogs fed raw meat-based diets in Brazil and their owners’ motivation

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0231275 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. e0231275

Author(s):

Flavia Mello Viegas ◽

Carolina Pantuzza Ramos ◽

Rafael Gariglio Clark Xavier ◽

Emily Oliveira Lopes ◽

Carlos Augusto Oliveira Júnior ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clostridium Perfringens ◽

Salmonella Spp ◽

Fecal Shedding ◽

Raw Meat ◽

Clostridioides Difficile

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The comparative pathology of enterocolitis caused by Clostridium perfringens type C, Clostridioides difficile, Paeniclostridium sordellii, Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhimurium, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in horses

Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation ◽

10.1177/10406387211041091 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 104063872110410

Author(s):

Fábio S. Mendonça ◽

Mauricio A. Navarro ◽

Francisco A. Uzal

Keyword(s):

Clostridium Perfringens ◽

Salmonella Enterica ◽

Animal Health ◽

Clostridioides Difficile ◽

Etiologic Agents ◽

San Bernardino ◽

Serovar Typhimurium ◽

Type C ◽

Inflammatory Infiltrates ◽

Microscopic Pathology

To determine if there were significant differences produced by 5 of the most prevalent causes of equine enterocolitis, we studied retrospectively the gross and microscopic pathology of 90 cases of enterocolitis submitted to the San Bernardino laboratory of the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory. Included were cases caused by Clostridium perfringens type C (CP; n = 20), Clostridioides difficile (CD; n = 20), Paeniclostridium sordellii (PS; n = 15), Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhimurium (ST; n = 20), and NSAID intoxication (NS; n = 15). Grossly, necrotizing hemorrhagic typhlocolitis was seen most frequently in cases of CD, ST, and NS disease. Cases of CP and PS had enteritis or colitis in similar percentages. Congestion, hemorrhage, and pleocellular inflammatory infiltrates followed by mucosal and submucosal necrosis were the main lesions found in horses with enteritis or colitis produced by any of the etiologic agents investigated. Severe lesions were more frequent in cases of CD and CP than in cases associated with any of the other 3 etiologies. Pseudomembranes were observed with similar prevalence in the small intestine and colon affected by all agents studied. Thrombosis of the lamina propria and/or submucosa was observed in ~50% of the cases of enteritis and colitis by all etiologies, except for PS, in which the majority of the cases had thrombosis. Gross and microscopic lesions of enterocolitis were not sufficiently specific for any of these etiologic agents to enable these enteritides to be distinguished by gross and/or histologic examination.

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Genotyping and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Clostridium perfringens and Clostridioides difficile in Camel Minced Meat

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens10121640 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1640

Author(s):

Mahmoud Fayez ◽

Waleed R. El-Ghareeb ◽

Ahmed Elmoslemany ◽

Saleem J. Alsunaini ◽

Mohamed Alkafafy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Clostridium Perfringens ◽

Antimicrobial Susceptibility ◽

Type A ◽

High Rate ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Clostridioides Difficile ◽

Meat Samples ◽

Minced Meat ◽

Butcher Shops

The present study aimed to determine the occurrence, genotypes, and antimicrobial resistance of Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) and Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) in camel minced meat samples collected from small butcher shops and supermarkets in Al-Ahsa Governorate, Saudi Arabia. A total of 100 camel minced meat samples were randomly collected from small butcher’s shops (n = 50) and supermarkets (n = 50) in Al-Ahsa Governorate, Saudi Arabia. C. perfringens and C. difficile were isolated and identified using the VITEK-2 compact system and 16S rRNA gene amplification. Genotypes, toxin genes, and antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates were determined. Moreover, ELISA was used to detect C. perfringens and C. difficile toxins. C. perfringens and C. difficile were isolated from 14% and 4% of the tested minced meat samples, respectively. Out of the 14 C. perfringens isolates, type A (64.3%), type B (7.1%), type C (21.5%), and type D (7.1%) were detected. However, out of the four C. difficile isolates, three (75%) were type A+B+ and one (25%) was type A−B+. None of the C. perfringens or C. difficile toxins were identified using ELISA. C. perfringens and C. difficile isolates exhibited a high rate of resistance to tetracycline (56% and 75%, respectively). However, all isolates were susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanate. Multidrug resistance was observed in three (21.4%) C. perfringens and one (25%) C. difficile isolates. In conclusion, camel minced meat was contaminated with C. perfringens and C. difficile, which present a potential risk of food poisoning. The majority of the isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial, and some isolates were multidrug-resistant. Therefore, food safety standards and frequent inspections of abattoirs, small butcher shops, and supermarkets should be enforced.

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Influence of operating conditions on the persistence of E. coli, enterococci, Clostridium perfringens and Clostridioides difficile in semi-continuous mesophilic anaerobic reactors

Waste Management ◽

10.1016/j.wasman.2021.08.003 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 134 ◽

pp. 32-41

Author(s):

Derongs Lorine ◽

Druilhe Céline ◽

Le Maréchal Caroline ◽

Barbut Frédéric ◽

Heurtevent Lorette ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clostridium Perfringens ◽

Operating Conditions ◽

E Coli ◽

Anaerobic Reactors ◽

Clostridioides Difficile

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The incidence of Clostridioides difficile and Clostridium perfringens netF -positive strains in diarrheic dogs

Anaerobe ◽

10.1016/j.anaerobe.2017.12.003 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 49 ◽

pp. 58-62 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Amanda Nadia Diniz ◽

Fernanda Morcatti Coura ◽

Maja Rupnik ◽

Vicki Adams ◽

Thomas L. Stent ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clostridium Perfringens ◽

Clostridioides Difficile

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Holin-dependent secretion of the large clostridial toxin TpeL by Clostridium perfringens

Journal of Bacteriology ◽

10.1128/jb.00580-20 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Angela Saadat ◽

Stephen B. Melville

Keyword(s):

Virulence Factors ◽

Clostridium Perfringens ◽

Signal Sequence ◽

Secretion System ◽

Membrane Topology ◽

Secretion Signal ◽

Clostridioides Difficile ◽

Clostridium Novyi ◽

Pass Through ◽

Mutant Forms

Large clostridial toxins (LCTs) are secreted virulence factors found in several species, including Clostridioides difficile, Clostridium perfringens, Paeniclostridium sordellii, and Clostridium novyi. LCTs are large toxins that lack a secretion signal sequence and studies by others have shown the LCTs of C. difficile, TcdA and TcdB, require a holin-like protein, TcdE, for secretion. The TcdE gene is located on the PaLoc pathogenicity locus of C. difficile and holin-encoding genes are also present in the LCT-encoded PaLocs from P. sordellii and C. perfringens. However, the holin (TpeE) associated with the C. perfringens LCT, TpeL, has no homology and a different membrane topology than TcdE. In addition, TpeE has an identical membrane topology as the TatA protein, which is the core of the twin-arginine (Tat) secretion system. To determine if TpeE was necessary and sufficient to secrete TpeL, the genes from a type C strain of C. perfringens were expressed in a type A strain of C. perfringens, HN13, and secretion was measured using western blotting methods. We found that TpeE was required for TpeL secretion and secretion was not due to cell lysis. Mutant forms of TpeE lacking an amphipathic helix and a charged C-terminal domain failed to secrete TpeL and mutations that deleted conserved LCT domains in TpeL indicated only the full length protein could be secreted. In summary, we have identified a novel family of holin-like proteins that can function, in some cases, as a system of protein secretion for proteins that need to fold in the cytoplasm. Importance: Little is known about the mechanism by which LCTs are secreted. Since LCTs are major virulence factors in clostridial pathogens, we wanted to define the mechanism by which an LCT in C. perfringens, TpeL, is secreted by a protein (TpeE) lacking homology to previously described secretion-associated holins. We discovered TpeE is a member of widely dispersed class of holin proteins, and TpeE is necessary for secretion of TpeL. TpeE bears a high degree of similarity in membrane topology to TatA proteins, which form the pore through which Tat-secretion substrates pass through the cytoplasmic membrane. Thus, the TpeE-TpeL secretion system may be a model for understanding not only holin-dependent secretion, but also how TatA proteins function in the secretion process.

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Élelmiszer eredetű bakteriális megbetegedések patogenezise, klinikai jellegzetességei, diagnosztikája és kezelése

Orvosi Hetilap ◽

10.1556/650.2020.31858 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 161 (48) ◽

pp. 2019-2028

Author(s):

Katalin Eszter Müller ◽

Ferenc Rozgonyi

Keyword(s):

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Bacillus Cereus ◽

Clostridium Perfringens ◽

Clostridium Botulinum ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Gastrointestinal Symptoms ◽

Food Poisoning ◽

Severe Infection ◽

Foodborne Diseases ◽

Clostridioides Difficile

Összefoglaló. Az élelmiszer-eredetű megbetegedések igen gyakoriak, bár pontos adatok nem állnak rendelkezésre, mivel az enyhe, gyorsan múló gastrointestinalis tünetekkel a betegek nem fordulnak orvoshoz, vagy nem történik diagnosztikus vizsgálat. Az amerikai Járványügyi és Betegségmegelőzési Központ (CDC) adatai szerint az USA-ban évente 6 lakosból 1 esik át élelmiszer okozta tüneteken. Az ételintoxikációk során a baktérium által termelt toxinok okozzák a tüneteket, közülük a leggyakoribb a Clostridium perfringens, a Staphylococcus aureus és a Bacillus cereus okozta, élelmiszer-eredetű intoxikáció. A nem megfelelően tárolt vagy hőkezelt élelmiszerekben – beleértve a S. aureus által szennyezett anyatejet – ezen baktériumok életképesek maradnak, elszaporodnak, és toxint termelhetnek, illetve toxinjaik megőrzik megbetegítőképességüket. Az étel elfogyasztása után 3–12 órával hányást, hasmenést okoznak. A tünetek többnyire 24 órán belül megszűnnek. A Clostridium botulinum súlyos neurológiai tünetei miatt emelkedik ki a többi toxikoinfekció sorából. C. botulinum okozta tünetekre felnőtteknél házi készítésű konzervek és húskészítmények elfogyasztása után jelentkező gastrointestinalis vagy neurológiai tünetek esetén kell gondolnunk. A Clostridioides difficile szintén a toxinjai révén okoz súlyos, életveszélyes megbetegedést, továbbá az esetek 20–30%-ában számolnunk kell az infekció relapsusával. Növekvő gyakorisága miatt ismernünk érdemes a laboratóriumi és klinikai diagnosztika részleteit és a legmodernebb kezelési lehetőségeket, úgymint megfelelő mintavétel, mintatárolás és -szállítás, tenyésztés, toxinkimutatás, helyes tüneti kezelés, antibiotikumkombinációk, széklettranszplantáció és monoklonálisantitest-kezelés. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(48): 2019–2028. Summary. Foodborne diseases are quite common, however, accurate data are not available because patients do not visit doctors with mild, rapidly resolving symptoms and diagnostic tests are not performed. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that, in the USA, 1 in 6 citizens gets food poisoning yearly. Symptoms of intoxication are due to the toxins produced by bacteria, mostly by Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. These bacteria can survive in not properly stored or heated food, including S. aureus contaminated breastmilk. They can multiply and produce toxins causing intoxications. The gastrointestinal symptoms start 3–12 hours after consumption of the contaminated food and resolve in 24 hours. Clostridium botulinum causes severe neurological symptoms that should be suspected after consumption of home-made cans, smoked hams and sausages. The disease caused by Clostridioides difficile is not a foodborne one, but C. difficile causes severe infection via its toxins. Another problem is that C. difficile infection recurs in 20–30% of cases. Due to the increasing incidence of foodborne diseases, it is worth to learn the precise clinical and laboratory diagnostic algorithms including sampling, storage and transportation of samples, cultivation of bacteria and differential diagnosis of these diseases, furthermore the most up-to-date symptomatic and causative treatment options like antibiotic combinations, stool transplantation and monoclonal antibodies. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(48): 2019–2028.

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Large Clostridial Toxins: Mechanisms and Roles in Disease

Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews ◽

10.1128/mmbr.00064-21 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kathleen E. Orrell ◽

Roman A. Melnyk

Keyword(s):

Clostridium Perfringens ◽

Target Cells ◽

Content Type ◽

Clostridioides Difficile ◽

Clostridium Novyi

Large clostridial toxins (LCTs) are a family of bacterial exotoxins that infiltrate and destroy target cells. Members of the LCT family include Clostridioides difficile toxins TcdA and TcdB, Paeniclostridium sordellii toxins TcsL and TcsH, Clostridium novyi toxin TcnA, and Clostridium perfringens toxin TpeL.

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