Open AccessThe Roles of Clostridium difficile and Enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens in Diarrhea in Dogs
Author(s) -
Weese J. Scott,
Staempfli Henry R.,
Prescott John F.,
Kruth Steven A.,
Greenwood Spencer J.,
Weese Heather E.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of veterinary internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.356
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1939-1676
pISSN - 0891-6640
DOI - 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2001.tb02332.x
Subject(s) - clostridium perfringens , medicine , diarrhea , clostridium difficile , clostridium , enterotoxigenic escherichia coli , microbiology and biotechnology , clostridiales , clostridiaceae , enterotoxin , gastroenterology , bacteria , antibiotics , toxin , biology , escherichia coli , biochemistry , genetics , gene
In this prospective study, feces of dogs with diarrhea were compared with feces of normal dogs for the presence of Clostridium difficile, C difficile toxins A and B, C perfringens , and C perfringens enterotoxin (CPE). C difficile toxins A, B, or both were present in feces of 18 of 87 (21%) dogs with diarrhea and 4 of 55 (7%) normal dogs ( P = 0.03), whereas CPE was present in the feces of 24 of 87 (28%) dogs with diarrhea and 3 of 55 (5%) normal dogs ( P = 0.01). C difficile was isolated from 2 of 87 (2%) dogs with diarrhea but was not isolated from the feces of 55 normal dogs, possibly because of poor survival of the organism in fecal samples. C perfringens was isolated from the feces of 23 of 24 (96%) CPE‐positive dogs with diarrhea, 52 of 63 (83%) CPE‐negative dogs with diarrhea, and 39 of 55 (71%) CPE‐negative dogs with normal feces. No correlation was found between C perfringens spore number and the presence of CPE.