Assessing the Prevalence of Clostridioides difficile and Clostridium perfringens type A on Canadian Farms with Enterocheck

Neonatal diarrhea (ND) is a common occurrence on Canadian pig farms. The cause of neonatal diarrhea in piglets is often multifactorial; many infectious pathogens can contribute to diarrhea. This includes E. coli, Clostridium perfringens type A and C (CpA & CpC), Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile), Rotavirus, and Porcine Epidemic Virus (PED)1
. However, the prevalence of C. difficile and CpA on Canadian pig farms has not been
recently investigated. C. difficile causes diarrhea in piglets less than 7 days of age, with high morbidity and variable mortality2. CpA is a normal inhabitant of the pig’s intestinal microbiota and has also been implicated as a cause of diarrhea in neonatal piglets3. Understanding the prevalence of C. difficile and CpA would allow for better control of
ND on Canadian farms.