Postoperative Clostridium difficile infection with PCR ribotype 078 strain identified at necropsy in five Thoroughbred racehorses.

This research article focuses on the detection and investigation of post-operative infections in Thoroughbred racehorses by the bacterium Clostridium difficile which causes severe inflammation of the intestine. The distinctive aspect of the study is the identification of a specific strain called PCR ribotype 078, found in all of the examined cases.

Details of the Research

The details of the research are segmented into the following categories:

• The Sample Population: The research focuses on five Thoroughbred racehorses that developed post-operative infections. The general symptoms across these cases included symptoms such as diarrhoea or colic, an increase in packed cell volume and leucopenia.
• Results from the Post-Mortem Examinations: Four of the horses died due to severe diarrhoea or colitis. Post-mortem examinations showed that each of them had necrotising entero-typhlo-colitis, a severe intestinal condition in which the tissue of the intestines undergoes necrosis or cell death. The bacterium, C difficile, was found in the contents of the small and/or large intestine.
• The Remaining Case: The last horse was euthanised because of a marked decline in its general health condition and due to a lung abscess which also tested positive for C. difficile. This horse had exhibited severe postoperative diarrhoea before the onset of the respiratory disorder.
• Toxicity Testing: Tests on all the C. difficile isolates from the horses showed that they were all toxin-A-positive, toxin-B-positive and also carried the actin-specific ADP-ribosyltransferase (CDT) gene.
• Strain Identification: The isolates were all undistinguishable by advanced analysis techniques like pulsed field gel electrophoresis, PCR ribotyping, and slpA sequence typing. The slpA sequences and PCR ribotype patterns matched perfectly with those of the known PCR type 078.

Conclusion of the Research

On concluding, the researchers indicate that the infections in these cases may be healthcare-associated, given that they occurred post-surgery. However, the potential connection remains uncertain due to the approximately four-month interval between each disease onset. This study highlights the need to keep an eye on this harmful bacterium, particularly in post-operative contexts. The identification of the specific strain could be valuable for diagnosis, treatment and prevention purposes in future cases.