Clostridioides difficile in companion animals, a One Health concern?

Clostridioides difficile infection ( is the leading cause of healthcare associated diarrhoea The main virulence factors are the two large Clostridial toxins TcdA and TcdB The recent increase in community acquired CDI discloses an epidemiologic shift The asymptomatic carrier status of pets and their increased proximity to humans may unveil the role of these animals in the transmission cycle Our goal was to evaluate if dogs and cats can act as a reservoir for C diffcile strains and to assess the possibility of interspecies transmissio