clostridium difficile transfer to pigs though vermin

Abstract

Clostridium difficile a gram positive, spore forming, toxin producing, anaerobic bacteria which is a pathogen to many animal species including pigs. It is wide spread and can cause a pasty, slimy or watery yellow to orange diarrhoea in piglets. C. difficile Ribotype found in pigs is 078. Piglets get infected through, for example, the environment. This research was designed to investigate the possibility that pigs get infected through vermin. For this, vermin was collected with the use of non toxic traps and different bait types in the pig unit The Tolakker and an additional behavioural research unit. Approximately 1,0 gram of these samples was put in a moxalotham norfloxacin broth after which an alcohol shock treatment was given. After putting this on a CLO plate identification and ribotyping followed. The results of this research show that a lot of different vermin types found in The Tolakker pig unit, carries the same ribotype of the bacteria as pigs.