Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Clostridium difficile outbreak causing diarrhea in dogs and cats
By Weese, JS & Armstrong, J·Published in Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine·2003·University of Guelph Department of Clinical Studies Ontario Veterinary College, , Guelph,, Canada·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: Outbreak of Clostridium difficile-Associated Disease in a Small Animal Veterinary Teaching Hospital
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A significant outbreak of diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile was reported in dogs and cats at a veterinary teaching hospital, affecting over half of the dogs tested during a five-month period. The hospital identified the bacteria in fecal samples from 48 out of 93 dogs, prompting immediate infection control measures, including closing the hospital to elective cases and enhancing cleaning protocols. After implementing these measures, the number of diarrhea cases dropped dramatically, showing that the actions taken were effective in controlling the outbreak.
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Abstract
Abstract An apparent outbreak of enteric disease occurred in dogs and cats at a veterinary teaching hospital. Clostridium difficile Toxin A or B or both were identified in 1 or more fecal samples from 48 of 93 (52%) dogs over a 5-month period, 30 of which were identified in the 1st 26 days, after which strict infection control measures, including closure to elective cases, were implemented. Affected animals included in-patients, out-patients that were housed temporarily in the wards, and resident blood donor dogs. Infection control measures, including partial depopulation, isolation, hospital and yard cleaning, and barrier precautions, were instituted, after which, the incidence of nosocomial diarrhea decreased from 19 cases per 1,000 admissions to 2.5 cases per 1,000 admissions (P <0.001)
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2003.tb02519.x