ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile infection (CDI) is recognized worldwide as a public health concern, related mainly with hypervirulent strains. In Brazil there are few studies about molecular epidemiology of C. difficile, for this reason, we aimed to characterize C. difficile isolates from a large cohort study of three different Brazilian states to identify virulence and resistance genes, specifically genes related to metronidazole and vancomycin resistance. METHODS: All 153 fecal samples were submitted to C. difficile culture in CM0601 broth. Identification of suspected colonies was confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI-TOF/MS, Brucker Daltonics, Germany). The tcdA and tcdB toxin were searched by PCR. The sequence type (ST) was determinate by multilocus sequencing typing (MLST) and susceptibility profile was performed by agar dilution method. RESULTS: Among the 16 isolates, we identified fourteen different STs, five belonging to Clade 1, one to Clade 2 and eight news STs with high similarity levels. Resistance (ermB, tetM, VanW and nimB) and virulence genes (cwp84, cwp66, cwp2, fbpA and secA) were found in toxigenic strains. CONCLUSION: Differently from other studies, we found high levels of resistance to vancomycin. These results suggest that the main circulating strains in Brazil belong to Clade 1 and have high pathogenicity and resistance profile.
Subject(s)
Bacterial Toxins , Clostridioides difficile , Clostridium Infections , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Brazil , Clostridioides difficile/genetics , Clostridium Infections/drug therapy , Clostridium Infections/epidemiology , Cohort Studies , Drug Resistance, Bacterial , Germany , Humans , Multilocus Sequence Typing , Virulence Factors/geneticsSubject(s)
Clostridium Infections/epidemiology , Diarrhea/epidemiology , Diarrhea/microbiology , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Brazil/epidemiology , Clostridioides difficile , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Young AdultABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Clostridium difficile is an important cause of diarrhoea, particularly in patients receiving antibiotic therapy. Recent studies have shown that a substantial proportion of C. difficile infections are acquired in the community, as a zoonotic disease. Brazil is a large exporter of meat and so far no study has evaluated meat contamination with C. difficile spores. METHODS: Here we analysed 80 retail meat products purchased from local supermarkets in a Brazilian metropolis (Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil). Samples from these products were grown in anaerobic conditions, and tested with a real time polymerase chain reaction test. RESULTS: Contamination with C. difficile spores was not found in the study. Bacteria isolated from meat included Streptococcus gallolyticus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Enterococcus gallinarum and Pediococcus acidilactici. DISCUSSION: Close vigilance is required in order to guarantee the quality of Brazilian retail meat in the long term.
Subject(s)
Clostridioides difficile/isolation & purification , Community-Acquired Infections , Food Contamination/analysis , Meat Products/microbiology , Animals , Brazil , Clostridium Infections/epidemiology , Commerce , HumansABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Introduction Clostridium difficile is an important cause of diarrhoea, particularly in patients receiving antibiotic therapy. Recent studies have shown that a substantial proportion of C. difficile infections are acquired in the community, as a zoonotic disease. Brazil is a large exporter of meat and so far no study has evaluated meat contamination with C. difficile spores. Methods Here we analysed 80 retail meat products purchased from local supermarkets in a Brazilian metropolis (Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil). Samples from these products were grown in anaerobic conditions, and tested with a real time polymerase chain reaction test. Results Contamination with C. difficile spores was not found in the study. Bacteria isolated from meat included Streptococcus gallolyticus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Enterococcus gallinarum and Pediococcus acidilactici. Discussion Close vigilance is required in order to guarantee the quality of Brazilian retail meat in the long term.
