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The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne2014; 55(8); 786-789;

Three-week summer period prevalence of Clostridium difficile in farm animals in a temperate region of the United States (Ohio).

Abstract: The cross-sectional (period) prevalence of Clostridium difficile in 875 farm animals from 29 commercial operations during the summer of 2008 in Ohio, USA was quantified. Compared to an external referent population of intensively managed race horses (12.7%), intensively managed commercially mature food animals (poultry, cattle, swine; < 0.6%) were infrequent shedders of C. difficile (P < 0.00001) during the warmest weeks of 2008. La prévalence par période de chez 875 animaux de ferme provenant de 29 exploitations commerciales durant l’été de 2008 en Ohio, aux États-Unis, est quantifiée. Comparativement à la population de référence constituée externe de chevaux de course à gestion intensive (12,7 %), les animaux destinés à l’alimentation et prêts à la commercialisation (volaille, bovins, porcs; < 0,6 %) ont rarement excrété ( < 0,00001) durant les semaines les plus chaudes de 2008.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).
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Publication Date: 2014-08-02 PubMed ID: 25082995PubMed Central: PMC4095967
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support
  • U.S. Gov't
  • Non-P.H.S.

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research investigates the frequency at which Clostridium difficile, a bacterium, is shed by farm animals in Ohio, USA during the summer of 2008. The study found that commercially mature food animals such as poultry, cattle, and pigs shed the bacterium less frequently compared to racehorses.

Understanding the Research

To understand this research, it is necessary to first understand the subject of study – Clostridium difficile. This bacterium can cause infections in the colon, leading to severe diarrhea and life-threatening inflammation. The bacterium is primarily passed through feces and can live for long periods on surfaces, hence the reference to ‘shedding’ in the research.

  • The research was a cross-sectional study, designed to examine a population at one specific point in time. In this case, the population under consideration was farm animals and the timeframe was the summer of 2008.
  • A total of 875 farm animals from 29 commercial operations were included in the study. These operations included both intensive and less intensive farming practices.
  • The paper contrasts the frequency at which C. difficile was shed by these farm animals with that of a reference population – in this case, intensively managed racehorses.
  • It was found that C. difficile was shed less frequently by commercially mature animals such as poultry, cattle, and swine (<0.6%) compared to racehorses (12.7%). This was particularly the case during the warmest weeks of 2008.

Research Significance

The implications of this research are significant for both human and animal health. Clostridium difficile is a major public health problem, and understanding its prevalence in the farm animal population can significantly influence its management.

  • The low prevalence of C. difficile in commercially mature food animals suggests that the risk of transmission to humans through the food chain is relatively low.
  • However, the significantly higher prevalence in racehorses indicates that there could be specific risk factors associated with intensive management of these animals. This could guide targeted interventions to reduce prevalence in this population, hence mitigating the potential risk to humans.
  • Period prevalence studies like this can also aid in monitoring disease trends over time, which can guide public health strategies and interventions.

Cite This Article

APA
Rodriguez-Palacios A, Barman T, LeJeune JT. (2014). Three-week summer period prevalence of Clostridium difficile in farm animals in a temperate region of the United States (Ohio). Can Vet J, 55(8), 786-789.

Publication

The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne
ISSN: 0008-5286
NlmUniqueID: 0004653
Country: Canada
Language: English
Volume: 55
Issue: 8
Pages: 786-789

Researcher Affiliations

Rodriguez-Palacios, Alexander
  • Food Animal Health Research Program, College of Food Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio 44691, USA (Rodriguez-Palacios, LeJeune); Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA (Rodriguez-Palacios, LeJeune); Cooper Farms, Fort Recovery, Ohio, USA (Barman); Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA (Rodriguez-Palacios).
Barman, Tim
  • Food Animal Health Research Program, College of Food Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio 44691, USA (Rodriguez-Palacios, LeJeune); Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA (Rodriguez-Palacios, LeJeune); Cooper Farms, Fort Recovery, Ohio, USA (Barman); Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA (Rodriguez-Palacios).
LeJeune, Jeffrey T
  • Food Animal Health Research Program, College of Food Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio 44691, USA (Rodriguez-Palacios, LeJeune); Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA (Rodriguez-Palacios, LeJeune); Cooper Farms, Fort Recovery, Ohio, USA (Barman); Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA (Rodriguez-Palacios).

MeSH Terms

  • Animal Husbandry
  • Animals
  • Animals, Domestic / microbiology
  • Cattle
  • Chickens
  • Clostridioides difficile / isolation & purification
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Horses
  • Ohio / epidemiology
  • Prevalence
  • Seasons
  • Swine

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This article includes 22 references
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Citations

This article has been cited 5 times.
  1. Bolton D, Marcos P. The Environment, Farm Animals and Foods as Sources of Clostridioides difficile Infection in Humans. Foods 2023 Mar 4;12(5).
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  2. Weese JS. Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile in animals. J Vet Diagn Invest 2020 Mar;32(2):213-221.
    doi: 10.1177/1040638719899081pubmed: 31904312google scholar: lookup
  3. Knight DR, Riley TV. Genomic Delineation of Zoonotic Origins of Clostridium difficile. Front Public Health 2019;7:164.
    doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2019.00164pubmed: 31281807google scholar: lookup
  4. Rodriguez C, Taminiau B, Van Broeck J, Delmée M, Daube G. Clostridium difficile in Food and Animals: A Comprehensive Review. Adv Exp Med Biol 2016;932:65-92.
    doi: 10.1007/5584_2016_27pubmed: 27350639google scholar: lookup
  5. Ismail AA, Ahmed NK, Bashar AE, Seri HI, El Tigani-Asil el TA, Abakar AD. A Survey of Seasonal Gastrointestinal Parasitic Infections in Donkeys from a Semiarid Sub-Saharan Region, Sudan. J Pathog 2016;2016:4602751.
    doi: 10.1155/2016/4602751pubmed: 27298739google scholar: lookup
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