Veterinary World, EISSN: 2231-0916 Available at www.veterinaryworld.org/Vol.6/Nov-2013/6.pdf RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Detection of toxigenic Clostridium difficile in powdered infant and

Aim: To examine powdered infant formula (PIF) and follow-up formula (FUF) for the presence of toxigenic Clostridium


Introduction
was sparked by the finding of stool positive for C. difficile in two infants whose mortality was linked to Clostridium difficile is a spore-forming, obligate sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), showed anaerobic, Gram positive bacillus and is usually significantly greater colonization in newborns fed on acquired either from the environment or via the fecalformula (71%) than in breast-fed infants (7%) [9].oral route.In particular, the toxins A and B of C.
Food animals were found to harbor C. difficile difficile are responsible for causing intestinal disease.[10].Moreover, it is transmitted from person to person C. difficile is the most common cause of antimicrobialvia the fecal-oral route [11] and humans act as its associated diarrhea and is also a common health carenatural reservoirs [12].associated pathogen.Clinical symptoms vary widely, Owing to the incrimination of C. difficile in SIDS from asymptomatic colonization to pseudomembranous and because of very little information about its colitis with bloody diarrhea, fever, and severe occurrence in the food, this study was aimed to detect abdominal pain [1].Although the disease was first whether toxigenic C. difficile occur in powdered infant described in 1893, the etiologic agent was not isolated and follow-up formulae.and identified until 1978 when the pseudomembranous colitis was first described as a complication of C.

Materials and Methods
difficile infection [2].In rare cases colitis can progress The present study was carried out during April to toxic megacolon, which can be life-threatening and 2008-January 2010 in the Department of Food may lead to colonic perforation, sepsis and even death Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut [3,4].
University, Assiut, Egypt.Toxin expression is the major pathomechanism in C. difficile-associated diseases [5].Toxin A acts as an Collection of samples: A total of 100 random samples enterotoxin leading to diarrhoea and inflammation of of powdered infant formula (PIF) and follow-up the colon; whereas toxin B produces cytotoxic effects formula (FUF), 50 samples each, from different via cell membranes [6].
companies and different batches were collected from In early infancy, asymptomatic carriage of C.
pharmacies and supermarkets in Assiut city.These difficile in the digestive tract is very common [7].Many samples were transferred to the laboratory in their infants are colonized by toxigenic or non-toxigenic packages for further examination.strains during the first two years of their life [8].A study

Isolation of C. difficile [13]
Enrichment of the samples: Margins of the can lids, scissors used for opening foil packages and spoons used for sampling were all properly sterilized prior to

Detection of toxigenic C. difficile [16]: The
circular sample well of the test device.viafoods of animal origin are the most likely sources We read and recorded the test results visually after 20 for human illnesses [27].min.A positive result (presence of toxin A and/or B) isIt is interesting to note that majority of cases of C. indicated by two black-colored lines of any intensity, difficile infection have been attributed to the one in the TEST region and one in the control (CTRL) occurrence of toxigenic strains.Studies showed that region.toxigenicstrains are virulent and even if they do not Table-1.Prevalence of C. difficile in powdered infant and follow-up formulae

Table - 2
. Toxigenic type characterization of C. difficile isolates