Veterinary World (Oct 2013)

Detection of toxigenic Clostridium difficile in powdered infant and follow-up formulae in Egypt

  • Nagah Mohammed Saad,
  • Wallaa Farouk Amin,
  • Eman Mokhtar Shaker

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2013.862-864
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6, no. 11
pp. 862 – 864

Abstract

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Aim: To examine powdered infant formula (PIF) and follow-up formula (FUF) for the presence of toxigenic Clostridiumdifficile.Materials and Methods: A total of 100 random samples of PIF and FUF, 50 samples each, from various pharmacies andsupermarkets located in Assiut city were collected during 2008-2010.Results: Our results show that 16 out of 100 (16%) examined samples of PIF and FUF were contaminated with C. difficile; 4(8%) and 12 (24%) of the examined PIF and FUF samples tested positive for C. difficile, respectively. Only two (16.67%)isolates of C. difficile from the examined FUF were toxigenic, while the isolates from the PIF samples were not toxigenic.Conclusions:The presence of C. difficile in PIF and FUF samples suggests that there is a high potential for the transmission ofC. difficile through these products. Thus, proper preparation and handling of these products is required to reduce the risk of theillnesses arising due to C. difficile.

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