Clostridium perfringens and C. difficile in parvovirus-positive dogs

- The co-infection of canine parvovirus (CPV) and toxigenic clostridia is still poorly understood.
- 82 CPV-positive dogs were tested for C. perfringens netF+ and C. difficile infection (CDI).
- C. perfringens type A positive for NetF-encoding gene (netF) was recovered from an adult dog (1.2%).
- C. difficile was isolated from ten 12.2% (10/82) dogs, but in only one CDI was confirmed.
- To our knowledge, this is the first study that report C. perfringen netF positive in CPV-positive dogs.

The aim of this study was to investigate Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens in 82 diarrheic dogs positive for canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV). Enterotoxigenic C. perfringens type A was isolated from three (3.6%) dogs. One (1.2%) strain was also positive for NetE- and NetF-encoding genes, which are commonly associated with diarrhea in dogs. Toxigenic C. difficile was isolated from one animal (1.2%), which was also positive for A/B toxins. The present study identified C. difficile and C. perfringens infection in CPV-positive dogs. Further studies are necessary to clarify if clostridial infections may predispose or potentiate CPV-infection in dogs or vice versa.