Faecal carriage of Clostridioides difficile is low among veterinary healthcare workers in the Netherlands

Abstract Veterinary healthcare workers are in close contact with many different animals and might be at an increased risk of acquiring Clostridioides difficile. In this cross-sectional study, we assessed the prevalence and risk factors of C. difficile carriage in Dutch veterinary healthcare workers. Participants provided a faecal sample and filled out a questionnaire covering potential risk factors for C. difficile carriage. C. difficile culture positive isolates were polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ribotyped and the presence of toxin genes tcdA , tcdB and cdtA/cdtB was determined. Eleven of 4... Mehr ...

Verfasser: Meijs, Anouk P.
Gijsbers, Esther F.
Hengeveld, Paul D.
Kuijper, Ed J.
Dierikx, Cindy M.
de Greeff, Sabine C.
van Duijkeren, Engeline
Dokumenttyp: Artikel
Erscheinungsdatum: 2022
Reihe/Periodikum: Epidemiology and Infection ; volume 150 ; ISSN 0950-2688 1469-4409
Verlag/Hrsg.: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Schlagwörter: Infectious Diseases / Epidemiology
Sprache: Englisch
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-26850091
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
Powered By: BASE
Link(s) : http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0950268822000383

Abstract Veterinary healthcare workers are in close contact with many different animals and might be at an increased risk of acquiring Clostridioides difficile. In this cross-sectional study, we assessed the prevalence and risk factors of C. difficile carriage in Dutch veterinary healthcare workers. Participants provided a faecal sample and filled out a questionnaire covering potential risk factors for C. difficile carriage. C. difficile culture positive isolates were polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ribotyped and the presence of toxin genes tcdA , tcdB and cdtA/cdtB was determined. Eleven of 482 [2.3%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3–4.0] veterinary healthcare workers were carriers of C. difficile . Three persons carried C. difficile ribotype 078 (0.6%; 95% CI 0.2–1.8). Risk factors for carriage were health/medication and hygiene related, including poor hand hygiene after patient (animal) contact, and did not include occupational contact with certain animal species. In conclusion, the prevalence of C. difficile carriage in veterinary healthcare workers was low and no indications were found that working in veterinary care is a risk for C. difficile carriage.