TY  - JOUR
AB  - i Clostridioides difficile /i is a known cause of diarrhea and colitis in human and non-human animals. While i C. difficile /i is regularly isolated from domesticated horses, little is known about its prevalence in wild or feral populations. In Australia, the horse population encompasses a mix of both domesticated and feral animals, with the feral population of 400,000 estimated to be the largest in the world. This study investigated the presence and characteristics of i C. difficile /i in Australian feral horses and evaluated their potential as a source or reservoir of i C. difficile /i in the wider community. Fecal samples ( i n /i 380) were collected from free-roaming feral horses from five Australian jurisdictions and cultured for i C. difficile /i . Isolates were characterized by PCR ribotyping and toxin profiling. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed for fidaxomicin, vancomycin, metronidazole, rifaximin, clindamycin, erythromycin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, moxifloxacin, meropenem, and tetracycline. i C. difficile /i was isolated from 45 of the 380 samples (11.8 )-one-third of that seen in recent studies on Australian domesticated horses but consistent with wild animal species worldwide. Forty ribotypes (RTs) were identified, 28 of which (70 ) were novel other RTs had been previously reported in humans, livestock, and soils. Eighteen toxigenic i C. difficile /i strains were isolated, of which eight contain binary toxin genes. Strains were largely susceptible to the antimicrobial agents tested. This investigation provides preliminary information on i C. difficile /i in feral horses in Australia and allows a comparison with their domestic counterparts. The findings support the hypothesis that all horse feces represent a potential source of i C. difficile /i in the community. IMPORTANCE i Clostridioides difficile /i poses an ongoing threat to healthcare in the community, with increasing evidence of transmission outside the hospital setting. In keepin
AU  - Hain-Saunders, NMR
AU  - Knight, DR
AU  - Harvey, A
AU  - Bruce, M
AU  - Hampson, BA
AU  - Riley, TV
DA  - 2025/05/21
DO  - 10.1128/aem.02114-24
JO  - Applied and Environmental Microbiology
PB  - American Society for Microbiology
PY  - 2025/05/21
SP  - e0211424
TI  - Clostridioides difficile in feral horse populations in Australia
VL  - 91
Y1  - 2025/05/21
Y2  - 2026/06/30
ER  -