Projects / Programmes
Development of Clostridium difficile laboratory diagnostics in animals
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 4.04.00 |
Biotechnical sciences |
Veterinarian medicine |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B230 |
Biomedical sciences |
Microbiology, bacteriology, virology, mycology |
Clostridium difficile, typing, molecular diagnostics, veterinary microbiology
Researchers (20)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
The aim of our research project is to add to fundamental knowledge on the bacterium Clostridium difficile, which has been long recognised as the most common cause of nosocomial intestinal infections in humans. Since recently, C. difficile was not regarded as a frequent pathogen in animals, therefore not many epidemiological studies were published and animal host-specific diagnostic methods were not developed in veterinary microbiology. Therefore, the main objectives of this project are to obtain new and advanced knowledge about the importance of C. difficile as a cause for animal disease, and to asses the possibility of animals as a reservoir for human infections. In the framework of the project, C. difficile toxin genes will be sequence and compared with each other and with the sequences obtained in preliminary studies. Established nucleotide sequences of the strains isolated from various animal species will enable development of more effective methods for detection and typing. Thus, molecular methods for more rapid and effective diagnostics will be developed (real time PCR using LightCycler and ABIPRISM 7000), which can be used in human and veterinary medicine. Also, we will try to increase the sensitivity of some existing molecular methods, which were described in C. difficile research in human medicine, but do not detect all variant strains. The strains will be typed using molecular methods and clonality of bacterial populations will be compared among human and animal hosts, which will enable to assess whether and to what extent C. difficile infection is transmitted among animal species and from animals to humans. Antibiotic sensitivity of C. difficile will be determined, which is underdocumented for the animal strains. In humans strains resistant to the antibiotic of choice, metronidazol, are starting to emerge. The frequency of various toxinotypes will be determined in animals and this will help in gathering data on characteristics and mechanisms of action of the variant C. difficile toxinotypes, with their role in the disease still being unclear. New data on C. difficile and its prevalence in animal population will enable efficient measures to prevent the spread and outbreaks of infection in animals and to prevent possible transmission to humans. The project will provide an overview of economic impact of C. difficile infections in various animal species in Slovenia. The project will also enable graduates and Ph students to directly participate in research work.
