Occurrence of C. botulinum in healthy cattle and their environment following poultry botulism outbreaks in mixed farms

• Samples were collected in 10 cattle farms in an area with poultry botulism history.
• 4.9% of environmental samples were positive for C. botulinum C/D (in 3 farms).
• One cow dung and 3/64 fecal contents were positive for C. botulinum C/D.
• This study shows an intermittent carriage of C. botulinum C/D in healthy cattle.

Ten cattle farms located in an area with a recent history of poultry botulism outbreaks were investigated to evaluate the occurrence of toxigenic C. botulinum in healthy cattle. Environmental samples in the 10 cattle farms and bovine fecal contents in farms with a confirmed environmental contamination were collected. Detection of C. botulinum toxin genes C, D, C/D, D/C and E was performed using real-time PCR. 4.9% (7/143) of the environmental samples collected in the 10 investigated cattle farms were positive for C. botulinum type C/D. Theses samples (boot-swabs in stalls and on pasture and water of a stream) were collected in 3 different farms. One cow dung sample and 3 out of 64 fecal contents samples collected in a single farm were also positive for C. botulinum type C/D. This study demonstrates that cattle are probably indirectly contaminated via poultry botulism in the area and that they can be intermittent carrier of C. botulinum type C/D after poultry botulism outbreaks in mixed farms.