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Prevalence of Enteropathogens and their Antibiotic Sensitivity Pattern in Puppies With Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis


Affiliations
1 Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai-600007, Tamil Nadu, India
2 Department of Clinics, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai-600007, Tamil Nadu, India
3 Department of Animal Biotechnology, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai-600007, Tamil Nadu, India
 

Aim: Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE) ranging from mild to severe forms is commonly encountered in puppies. The aim of the study was to identify the prevalence of common enteropathogens and the antibiotic sensitivity pattern in puppies reported with HGE.
Materials and Methods: The canine HGE activity index, with little modification, was adopted to identify Grade III/ severely affected puppies below 6 months of age. Fecal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was employed to screen and compare the enteropathogens in puppies with hemorrhagic diarrhea and healthy control.
Results: Canine parvovirus 2b was identified in 90.3% of the diarrheic and 10% of the non-diarrheic healthy puppies. Clostridium difficile was identified in all the diarrheic puppies and in 80% of the healthy puppies. Among the diarrheic puppies, 17.7% were positive for Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin, 9.7% were positive for C. perfringens alpha toxin, 6.4% were positive for Escherichia coli shiga toxin, 6.4% were positive for E. coli enterotoxin (LT), and 3.2% were positive for canine distemper virus. Whereas, none of the healthy puppies were positive for these bacteria and toxins. Fecal antibiotic sensitivity test pattern revealed gentamicin to be sensitive in 95% of the cases, azithromycin in 50%, enrofloxacin in 25%, cefotaxime in 20%, and tetracycline in 5% of the cases.
Conclusion: Parvoviral enteritis is predominant among puppies. Yet, bacteria and their toxins also play an important role in HGE. Gentamicin has higher sensitivity against the enteropathogens associated with the condition.

Keywords

Canine Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis Activity Index, Enteropathogens, Fecal Antibiotic Sensitivity Test, Fecal Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay, Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis.
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  • Prevalence of Enteropathogens and their Antibiotic Sensitivity Pattern in Puppies With Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis

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Authors

A. Kokila Priya
Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai-600007, Tamil Nadu, India
M. Balagangatharathilagar
Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai-600007, Tamil Nadu, India
D. Chandrasekaran
Department of Clinics, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai-600007, Tamil Nadu, India
M. Parthiban
Department of Animal Biotechnology, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai-600007, Tamil Nadu, India
S. Prathaban
Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai-600007, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract


Aim: Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE) ranging from mild to severe forms is commonly encountered in puppies. The aim of the study was to identify the prevalence of common enteropathogens and the antibiotic sensitivity pattern in puppies reported with HGE.
Materials and Methods: The canine HGE activity index, with little modification, was adopted to identify Grade III/ severely affected puppies below 6 months of age. Fecal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was employed to screen and compare the enteropathogens in puppies with hemorrhagic diarrhea and healthy control.
Results: Canine parvovirus 2b was identified in 90.3% of the diarrheic and 10% of the non-diarrheic healthy puppies. Clostridium difficile was identified in all the diarrheic puppies and in 80% of the healthy puppies. Among the diarrheic puppies, 17.7% were positive for Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin, 9.7% were positive for C. perfringens alpha toxin, 6.4% were positive for Escherichia coli shiga toxin, 6.4% were positive for E. coli enterotoxin (LT), and 3.2% were positive for canine distemper virus. Whereas, none of the healthy puppies were positive for these bacteria and toxins. Fecal antibiotic sensitivity test pattern revealed gentamicin to be sensitive in 95% of the cases, azithromycin in 50%, enrofloxacin in 25%, cefotaxime in 20%, and tetracycline in 5% of the cases.
Conclusion: Parvoviral enteritis is predominant among puppies. Yet, bacteria and their toxins also play an important role in HGE. Gentamicin has higher sensitivity against the enteropathogens associated with the condition.

Keywords


Canine Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis Activity Index, Enteropathogens, Fecal Antibiotic Sensitivity Test, Fecal Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay, Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis.