Isolation and characterization of Clostridium difficile from pet dogs in Assam, India

• Clostridium difficile was isolated from 13.67% faecal samples of pet dogs in Assam.
• 62.5% (10/16) isolates were toxigenic and they belonged to three different ribotypes.
• Toxigenic isolates carried both tcdA and tcdB and none carried binary toxin genes.
• Antibiotic treatment had significant influence on isolation rate of C. difficile.
• PFGE analysis revealed that each of the ribotype belonged to the same clone.

One hundred and seventeen faecal samples from pet dogs (pup = 21 and adult = 96) brought for treatment to a veterinary clinic were examined for Clostridium difficile. A total of 16 (13.67%) samples were positive. Nine (56.25%) isolates were obtained from 17 adult dogs undergoing antibiotic treatment and this was significantly higher (p < 0.01) as compared to isolates from dogs without antibiotic treatment. Ten isolates (62.5%) were toxigenic (all toxinotype 0) and six were non-toxigenic. None of the isolates were positive for binary toxin genes. PCR ribotyping revealed three different ribotypes (012, 014 and 046) among A+B+ isolates and five different ribotypes (010, SLO 131, and ACD 001 to ACD 003) among A−B− isolates. The PFGE analysis of toxigenic isolates revealed three different pulsotypes corresponding to the PCR ribotypes.