U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Food and Feed Safety Research: College Station, TX
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    CareersSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Plains Area College Station, Texas Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center Food and Feed Safety Research Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            NORMAN, KERI - Texas A&M Universityitem
                                            SCOTT, H - Kansas State Universityitem
                                            Harvey, Rogeritem
                                            NORBY, BO - Texas A&M Universityitem
                                            Hume, Michaelitem
                                            Andrews, Kathleen

                                                         - *Kate*
  Submitted to: Applied and Environmental Microbiology
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 6/21/2011
                                    Publication  Date: 8/1/2011
                                    Citation: Norman, K.N., Scott, H.M., Harvey, R.B., Norby, B., Hume, M.E., Andrews, K. 2011. Prevalence and genotypic characteristics of Clostridium difficle in a closed and integrated human and swine population. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 77:5755–5760.Interpretive Summary: Clostridium difficile (Cd) is a bacterium that causes disease and death in humans, and historically the infection was acquired during hospital stays.  Recently, more virulent strains that are community-acquired have emerged.  Although the origin of the new strains is unknown, some speculate they could be of animal origin (occupational exposure or food).  In the present study, we isolated 38 Cd from humans in a closed population of humans and swine.  Our results suggest a low human risk of Cd on the basis of occupational exposure and a diminished risk from food exposure to Cd.  The similarity of strains between humans and swine on the same premises suggest an environmental source of exposure common to both species (i.e., soil, water, feedstuffs, feces, or other).  Although not conclusive, these findings are important because they decrease the likelihood that human Cd infections come from swine or pork.
                                Technical Abstract: Recently, increases in cases of community-acquired Clostridium difficile have led researchers to explore additional sources of infection.  The objective of this study was to compare C. difficile isolated from a closed population of both humans and swine to investigate possible food safety and occupational risks.  We identified 11.8% of the human wastewater samples, and 8.6% of the swine samples were positive for C. difficile.  The prevalence of C. difficile among swine production groups differed significantly (p<0.05); however, prevalence in the human occupational group cohorts did not differ (p=0.81).  The majority of the human and swine isolates were of a similar strain.  The similarity in C. difficile prevalence between human group cohorts suggests a low occupational hazard, and the decreased prevalence of C. difficile in late swine production groups suggests a diminished risk of food-borne exposure.  However, the similarity of strains between host species provides evidence of a common environmental source.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov