Early identification of a toxin produced by the diarrhea-causing bacterium Clostridium difficile, in the feces of horses with diarrhea might help identify which horses are at risk for developing serious disease, report researchers from the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine.

Diarrhea in horses can range from a mild, self-limiting condition to a severe disease with life-threatening complications. One of the more dangerous causes of diarrhea in horses is the bacterium Clostridium difficile, which is known to produce at least two different toxins (A and B)