Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common are Clostridium infections in Swiss horses with gut
By Schoster, A et al.·Published in Veterinary microbiology·2019·University of Zurich·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens in Swiss horses with and without gastrointestinal disease and microbiota composition in relation to Clostridium difficile shedding.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A group of horses with colic was studied to see how often they shed Clostridium difficile, a bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal issues. The research found that 19% of the horses had C. difficile, and those with colic shed more of it compared to healthy horses. The study also looked at the gut bacteria of these horses but found only limited differences between those shedding the bacteria and those that weren't. The findings suggest that horses with colic may need special care to prevent spreading this bacteria, and more research is needed to understand the role of gut bacteria imbalances in these cases.
People also search for: horse colic treatment · Clostridium difficile in horses · horse diarrhea causes · gut bacteria in horses · biosecurity for colicky horses
Abstract
Overgrowth of enteric clostridia in dysbiosis in horses with colic is presumed but scarcely investigated. The objective was to provide prevalence data of Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens in horses with and without gastrointestinal disease in Switzerland, and investigate microbiota differences between C. difficile shedders and non-shedders. Fecal samples were taken from healthy horses (n = 103), horses with colic (n = 98) and horses with diarrhea (n = 151). Colic horses were sampled on three days. Selective enrichment culture and molecular typing for C. difficile and C. perfringens was performed. Microbiota differences between horses with colic shedding (n = 7) and not shedding (n = 7) C. difficile were assessed using metagenomic sequencing. The cumulative prevalence (19% C. difficile; 16% C. perfringens) was higher compared to single day samples (1-10% C. difficile; 3-8% C. perfringens, all p < 0.003). Horses with colic shed significantly more C. difficile (p < 0.001) but not C. perfringens (p = 0.09) compared to healthy horses. Prevalence in horses with diarrhea was 8% for both Clostridium species. There were no significant microbiota differences between C. difficile shedders and non-shedders with regards to relative abundance on any phylogenetic level, and alpha diversity. Limited differences were seen on LEfSE analysis and in beta diversity indices. Multiple fecal samples should be taken when investigating shedding of enteric clostridia. As horses with colic shed more enteric clostridia compared to healthy horses special biosecurity protocols for horses with colic should be considered in hospitals. Differences in microbiota composition between C. difficile shedders and non-shedders were limited. Further studies on the role of dysbiosis in C. difficile are needed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31767096/