CLOSTRIDIUM-DIFFICILE-ASSOCIATED WITH ACUTE COLITIS IN MATURE HORSES TREATED WITH ANTIBIOTICS

Clostridium (C.) difficile, or its cytoxin, was demonstrated in faecal samples from 10 of 25 (40%) mature horses investigated with acute col itis treated primarily with antibiotics for disorders other than diarr hoea, C. difficile was not found in faecal samples from 140 horses wit hout signs of enteric disorders, from 21 nondiarrhoeic horses treated, vith antibiotics, nor from 22 horses with colitis untreated with antib iotics, Except for C. difficile neither Salmonella nor any other inves tigated intestinal pathogen was isolated in any of the diarrhoeic hors es, The findings strongly support some earlier reports that C. diffici le is associated with acute colitis in mature horses treated with anti biotics. Of the 10 horses, 4 proved positive for C. difficile both in culture and in the cytotoxin test, 4 in culture only and 2 only in the cytotoxin test, Eight of 10 horses positive for C. difficile were or had recently been hospitalised, indicating that C. difficile may be a nosocomial infection in horses, All horses positive for C, difficile w ere treated with beta-lactam antibiotics.