Clostridium difficile (CD) is a common cause of hospital-acquired diarrhoea in humans and has been associated with diarrhoea in dogs. Salmonellosis is a major zoonotic disease but the transmission pathway is unclear. It is thus important to evaluate the risk factors that increase the likelihood of infection. Canine parvovirus (CPV) is a prevalent and fatal cause of canine enteritis often exacerbated by concurrent infection with other enteropathogens. Persistent isolation of Salmonella spp. during hospital environmental surveys of the isolation ward prompted further investigation. This study was designed to determine the comparative prevalence of CD and Salmonella spp. in dogs with CPV and healthy dogs.

The study was approved by the ethics committee of the University of Pretoria and conducted from October 2015 to March 2017. Fresh faecal samples were collected from dogs aged 6 weeks to 9 months diagnosed and admitted with CPV infection, and healthy dogs presented for vaccination or routine hospital procedures. CPV shedding was confirmed using negative staining electron microscopy. CD was detected via commercial faecal antigen enzyme immunoassay for glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), TcdA and TcdB. In addition, faeces was submitted for the isolation, antimicrobial susceptibility and serotyping of Salmonella spp.

Seventy-five dogs with CPV and 41 healthy dogs comprised the study. The prevalence of CD was 2.7% and 5% in CPV and healthy dogs, respectively, whereas the prevalence of Salmonella spp. was 21.3% and 32.5% in CPV and healthy dogs, respectively. No statistically significant associations between Salmonella infection status and possible risk factors or continuous variables such as age, weight and length of hospitalisation were identified. Statistical analysis was not performed on CD positive animals, because only two animals in either groups tested positive. Moreover, all the Salmonella spp. isolates (n = 32) were resistant to penicillin G, lincomycin and tylosin. Nine of the isolates were resistant to Linco-Spectin and 21 showed intermediate (n=20) or complete resistance (n=1) to doxycycline/oxytetracycline. Nine different serotypes of Salmonella spp. were identified.

In conclusion, the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in dogs with CPV infection was not statistically different from that in a healthy cohort. However, the prevalence in both groups was considerably higher than those previously reported (0–3.6%), yet similar to that reported for shelter dogs or dogs fed a raw diet (30–69%). This is the first report of the prevalence of CD and Salmonella spp. in dogs in South Africa.

Disclosures

No disclosures to report.