First confirmed case of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea in foals in Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Silva,Rodrigo Otávio Silveira
• Data de Publicação: 2012
• Outros Autores: Moreira,Felipe Moraghi, Rezende,Jackeline Viana, Pires,Prhiscylla Sadanã, Maranhão,Renata de Pino Albuquerque, Palhares,Maristela Silveira, Lobato,Francisco Carlos Faria
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Ciência Rural
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0103-84782012000300018
• topic: colitis; equine; nosocomial diarrhea

Despite of the substantial role of Clostridium difficile in causing diarrhea and colitis in foals, there have been no confirmed diagnoses of disease caused by this bacteria in Brazil. In this paper, we describe confirmed cases of colitis caused by C. difficile in two foals in Brazil. Two five-month-old foals with a five-day history of diarrhea after antibiotic treatment for a respiratory disease were treated at the Veterinary Hospital of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. C. difficile A/B toxins were detected, and toxigenic strains of C. difficile were isolated from the foals' feces. The treatment was based on fluid therapy and antibiotics (metronidazole and ceftiofur), and the animals experienced a gradual recovery. The association between the medical history, clinical signs, laboratory exam results and therapeutic success confirmed the diagnosis of C. difficile-associated diarrhea. The present report raises the possibility that C. difficile is also a pathogen in equines in Brazil and highlights the need for up to date routine laboratory protocols for the diagnosis of this disease.