<i>Clostridioides difficile</i> in Food-Producing Animals in Romania: First Study on the Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance

• Main Authors: Corina Beres (Author), Liora Colobatiu (Author), Alexandra Tabaran (Author), Romolica Mihaiu (Author), Cristian Iuhas (Author), Marian Mihaiu (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2022-09-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.3390/antibiotics11091194; 2079-6382
• Keywords: <i>Clostridioides difficile</i>; <i>Clostridioides difficile</i> infection; toxins; antimicrobial resistance; food-producing animals; biosecurity; Therapeutics. Pharmacology; RM1-950
• Source: Antibiotics, Vol 11, Iss 9, p 1194 (2022)

At present, the epidemiology of the gastrointestinal disease caused by <i>Clostridioides difficile</i> (<i>C. difficile</i>) is starting to be slowly elucidated internationally, although information about the bacteria in the food supply chain is insufficient and, in many countries, even absent. The study was conducted in order to investigate the prevalence of <i>C. difficile</i> isolated from animal feces, as well as to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of such isolates. The presence of antibiotic resistance determinants has also been evaluated. Overall, a total of 24 (12.5%) <i>C. difficile</i> isolates were recovered (out of the 192 samples collected), the highest percentage of positive isolates being detected in the fecal samples collected from piglets (25%). The majority of the isolates recovered in the current study proved to be toxigenic. Moreover, all <i>C. difficile</i> isolates were susceptible to vancomycin, although a large proportion of the porcine isolates (50%) were resistant to levofloxacin. The <i>tetW</i> and <i>erm(B)</i> genes have also been identified in the porcine isolates. In conclusion, this is the first analysis of the prevalence of <i>C. difficile</i> in food-producing animals in Romania, and it adds further evidence about the possible role of animals as a source of resistant <i>C. difficile</i> strains and a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance determinants.