Scientists Test Probiotic for Interrupting C. Difficile Outbreaks in Foals
Shortly after birth, foals might develop C. difficile-associated disease, causing enterocolitis, diarrhea with or without blood, fever, reduced feed intake, and lethargy. | Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse
Foals lack the established populations of beneficial bacteria in their gastrointestinal (GI) tracts that adult horses have. This makes way for bacteria such as Clostridium difficile to set up shop instead, causing a variety of GI signs and even death. During a recent C. difficile neonate outbreak at a Thoroughbred farm, researchers sought to find out if a probiotic could make a difference.

Steven Frese, PhD, a microbial ecologist with Evolve Biosystems, which funded the study led by Monica Aleman, MVZ, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, and John Madigan, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, of the University of California, Davis, described C. difficile infection and the research findings at the 2017 American Association of Equine Practitioners’ Convention, held Nov. 17-21 in San Antonio, Texas.

Shortly after birth, foals might develop C. difficile-associated disease, causing enterocolitis (inflammation of the small intestine and colon), diarrhea with or without blood, fever, reduced feed intake, and lethargy. The standard course of treatment—administering an antibiotic such as metronidazole—is not always effective, due to drug resistance, and so C. difficile can be a cause of mortality on breeding farms.

Mare’s milk contains short chains of simple sugars known as oligosaccharides that get broken down by bacteria in the foal’s GI tract. The end product differs, depending on whether pathogenic (disease-causing) or beneficial bacteria do the breaking down

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