Workgroup Clostridia

Tasks

• Work on Clostridia, especially on
  • Clostridium botulinum,
  • Clostridium chauvoei,
  • Clostridium difficile
• Research for the improvement of diagnostic methods

Current Research Projects

Significance of Clostridium botulinum in chronic disease

Project duration: 01.02.2012 – 28.02.2014

For more than a decade the cause for gradual health deterioration of cattle herds was discussed controversially. Therefore, the Hannover School of Veterinary Medicine (TiHo) and the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI) are now cooperating in a research network to investigate the cause of this complex of swyndromes in cattle which is associated with wasting and can affect entire cattle herds. The crucial point of one of hypotheses on the development of this clinical picture is the production of neurotoxin by Clostridium botulinum in the intestine of the affected animals. Task of the FLI within the project is the sensitive detection of this neurotoxin in collected faecal samples. Selection and classification of the sampled animals into an epidemiological category is task of the TiHo being also the coordinator of the project.

Prevalence and Typing of Clostridium difficile in companion animals and their owners
Focus Isolation and Typing of Clostridium difficile

Project duration: 01.03.2012 - 31.08.2013

Clostridium (C.) difficile infection (CDI) symptoms range from mild diarrhoea to lifethreatening pseudomembranous colitis. As a cause of nosocomial enteritis C. difficile causes high costs due to prolonged hospitalisation and intensified medical care. The role of companion animals as a natural reservoir for virulent C. difficile strains also affecting humans is addressed in this study. This study aims to collect first data on the prevalence and ribotypes isolated in dogs, cats and their owners, respectively in Germany. Risk factors for the acquisitions of CDI or colonisation will be investigated. The three cooperation partners, the Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics of the FU Berlin, the subject group Surveillance of the Robert-Koch-Institute and the Clostridia group of the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute will work together.

The part of the FLI within the project is to investigate the faecal samples for the presence of C. difficile and to isolate strains. The isolated C. difficile strains will be typed by ribotyping using capillary-gel-electrophoresis and detection of the toxin genes A and B and the gene of the binary toxin. This study should enable a first assessment of the zoonotic potential of C. difficile isolated from companion animals.