Infection of hamsters with the UK clostridium difficile ribotype 027 outbreak strain R20291

Buckley, A.M., Spencer, J., Candlish, D., Irvine, J.J. and Douce, G.R. (2011) Infection of hamsters with the UK clostridium difficile ribotype 027 outbreak strain R20291. Journal of Medical Microbiology, 60(8), pp. 1174-1180. (doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.028514-0)

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Abstract

Clostridium difficile is the main cause of antibiotic-associated disease, a disease of high socio-economical importance that has recently been compounded by the global spread of the 027 (BI/NAP1/027) ribotype. C. difficile cases attributed to ribotype 027 strains have high recurrence rates (up to 36%) and increased disease severity. The hamster model of infection is widely accepted as an appropriate model for studying aspects of C. difficile host-pathogen interactions. Using this model we characterized the infection kinetics of the UK 2006 outbreak strain, R20291. Hamsters were orally given a dose of clindamycin, followed 5 days later with 10 000 C. difficile spores. All 100% of the hamsters succumbed to infection with a mean time to the clinical end point of 46.7 h. Colonization of the caecum and colon were observed 12 h post-infection reaching a maximum of approximately 3x10(4) c.f.u. per organ, but spores were not detected until 24 h post-infection. At 36 h post-infection C. difficile numbers increased significantly to approximately 6x10(7) c.f.u. per organ where numbers remained high until the clinical end point. Increasing levels of in vivo toxin production coincided with increases in C. difficile numbers in organs reaching a maximum at 36 h post-infection in the caecum. Epithelial destruction and polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) recruitment occurred early on during infection (24 h) accumulating as gross microvilli damage, luminal PMN influx, and blood associated with mucosal muscle and microvilli. These data describe the fatal infection kinetics of the clinical UK epidemic C. difficile strain R20291 in the hamster infection model

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Douce, Dr Gillian and Candlish, Mrs Denise and Spencer, Dr Janice and Buckley, Dr Anthony and Irvine, Ms June
Authors: Buckley, A.M., Spencer, J., Candlish, D., Irvine, J.J., and Douce, G.R.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity
Journal Name:Journal of Medical Microbiology
Publisher:Society for General Microbiology
ISSN:0022-2615
ISSN (Online):1473-5644
Published Online:17 February 2011
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2011 Society for General Microbiology
First Published:First published in Journal of Medical Microbiology 60(8):1174-1180
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

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Project CodeAward NoProject NamePrincipal InvestigatorFunder's NameFunder RefLead Dept
492111Genetic and phenotypic characterisation of emerging virulent Clostridium difficileGillian DouceWellcome Trust (WELLCOME)086418/B/08/ZIII - BACTERIOLOGY