By Scott Weese on Posted in Clostridium difficileIt seems like half the people I know have sent me this article about Clostridium difficile for comment. It’s a news article about a New England Journal of Medicine research paper (Eyre et al 2013). The paper has some interesting findings. They used whole-genome sequencing to look at the genetic makeup of C. difficile from… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Clostridium difficileA couple questions that I received about C. difficile and hospital visitation dogs: Is there any concern about cross contamination from dogs/handlers that visit health facilities and get contaminated by C. difficile? I see on this site a concern about dogs being contaminated by visitation and I wonder if the Delta Society has considered this to… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Clostridium difficile,DogsClostridium difficile is a high-profile bacterium, being an important cause of illness and death in people. It can also be found in various animal species, including dogs and cats. In a study we published earlier this year (Lefebvre et al, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2009), factors associated with acquisition of Clostridium difficile… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Cats,Clostridium difficile,Dogs,MRSA/MRSPThere is a nice, concise commentary in the most recent issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal about preventing infections in the home. It covers three important organisms: MRSA, Clostridium difficile and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). An excellent aspect of this particular commentary is its relatively low-key approach, with an emphasis on routine, basic practices such… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Cats,Clostridium difficile,DogsAnother study we presented at the recent European Conference of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases was about Clostridium difficile in the household environment. In the study, we collected samples from various locations and surfaces in households, as well as five fecal samples (one per day) from pets, and tested them for C. difficile. Some of… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Clostridium difficile,Dogs,MRSA/MRSP,Other diseasesA study published recently in the Journal of Hospital Infection (Lefebvre & Weese, 2009) looked at contamination of the haircoat of animals used in hospital visitation programs. In the study, Dr. Lefebvre petted animals that were going into a hospital and we cultured her hands. Then when the dogs finished their visits she petting them… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Cats,Clostridium difficile,Dogs,Other diseasesPeople often ask me questions about “Clostridium” in dogs and cats, with the impression that “Clostridium” is a specific disease. Actually, Clostridium is a large bacterial genus (a group of related bacteria), which includes species that range from harmless to deadly. Some of the more important species are described below: Clostridium perfringens: This is a common bacterium… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Cats,Clostridium difficile,Dogs,Other diseasesI’ve had this question a few times recently. There isn’t really a straightforward answer, and it depends what people mean when they say ‘get’. I’ve broken the question into a few components. Can C. difficile be found in dogs and cats? Yes. A small percentage (1-5%) of healthy dogs and cats carry C. difficile in… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Cats,Clostridium difficile,Dogs,Other diseasesI often get asked about testing of healthy pets for Clostridium difficile. This bacterium is an important cause of disease in people. While most common in people in hospitals, cases of C. difficile infection are occurring more in people in the general population. Also, C. difficile can be found in various animals, including dogs and… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Clostridium difficile,DogsClostridium difficile is a bacterium that is an important cause of disease in people and has been getting a lot of press lately in this area. Associated with that has been a lot of questions about C. difficile in dogs. Here are some facts to ponder: C. difficile is thought to be a cause of… Continue Reading
