Clostridium difficile in poultry and poultry meat

• Published in: Foodborne pathogens and disease Vol. 8; no. 12; p. 1321
• Main Authors: Harvey, Roger B, Norman, Keri N, Andrews, Kathleen, Hume, Michael E, Scanlan, Charles M, Callaway, Todd R, Anderson, Robin C, Nisbet, David J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-12-2011
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Toxins - genetics; Chickens; Clostridium difficile - drug effects; Clostridium difficile - genetics; Clostridium difficile - isolation & purification; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; Enterotoxins - genetics; Feces - microbiology; Food Microbiology; Genotype; Humans; Meat - microbiology; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Poultry Diseases - epidemiology; Poultry Diseases - microbiology; Prevalence; Texas - epidemiology; Texas
• ISSN: 1556-7125
• DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2011.0936

The incidence and severity of disease associated with toxigenic Clostridium difficile have increased in hospitals in North America from the emergence of newer, more virulent strains. Toxigenic C. difficile has been isolated from food animals and retail meat with potential implications of transfer to human beings. The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of toxigenic C. difficile in chickens and retail poultry meat in Texas. Seven C. difficile isolates were detected in fecal samples of 300 (2.3%) broiler chickens. Three cultivation procedures were evaluated for isolation of C. difficile from poultry meat and detected 1/32 (3.1%), 2/32 (6.2%), and 4/32 (12.5%) for the three procedures, respectively. Chicken and poultry meat isolates were characterized as toxinotype V and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis gel type-NAP7 or NAP7-variant. Susceptibilities to 11 antimicrobial agents in the current study suggested somewhat reduced resistance than reported for other meat or animal toxinotype V isolates.