Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Isolation of Clostridium difficile and detection of cytotoxin in the feces of diarrheic foals in the absence of antimicrobial treatment.
- Journal:
- Journal of clinical microbiology
- Year:
- 1987
- Authors:
- Jones, R L et al.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In a study of 43 foals with diarrhea, researchers found that 27 of them had a bacteria called Clostridium difficile in their poop, and 28 had a harmful toxin from this bacteria also present. Importantly, these foals had not been treated with antibiotics before they started having diarrhea. The bacteria was not found in 18 healthy foals or in 62 adult horses, suggesting that C. difficile might be a new cause of diarrhea in foals. This information could help veterinarians better understand and treat diarrhea in young horses.
Abstract
Clostridium difficile was isolated from the feces of 27 of 43 diarrheic foals (63%), and cytotoxin was detected in feces from 28 diarrheic foals (65%). The foals had not received any antimicrobial treatment before the onset of diarrhea. C. difficile was not isolated from feces of 18 normal foals without diarrhea and 62 adult horses (P less than 0.005). This finding of C. difficile and its toxins in association with diarrhea in foals adds another possible cause to the list of infectious agents which may cause diarrhea in foals.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3112178/