Rodents are carriers of Clostridioides difficile strains similar to those isolated from piglets.

Features of Clostridioides difficile transmission in swine and the role of rodents as C. difficile reservoir are not clear. To investigate if rodents can carry strains of C. difficile that are genetically similar to those isolated from swine, 97 fecal samples from neonatal piglets and 41 intestinal contents from rodents were collected in two farms. All samples were subjected to C. difficile culture and the presence of A/B toxins in piglet feces were accessed by commercial enzyme imunoassay (EIA). C. difficile isolates were typed by double- (DLST) and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). C. difficile was isolated from 15.5% of piglets and 31.7% of rodents. Most isolates were identified as DLST type 4-4 and 17-5 (both are ST11), which were found in both rodents and piglets. Results of this study suggested that rodents may have a role on the transmission and spread of C. difficile strains to swine

Distribution and enrichment of trace metals in benthic, estuarine sediments: Southport Broadwater, Australia

The distribution and enrichment of selected trace metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sn, Zn) in benthic sediments of the Southport Broadwater, a semi-enclosed coastal body of water adjacent to the Gold Coast city, south-eastern Queensland, Australia, was studied with the objective of assessing the extent and degree of sediment contamination. Sediment samples from the 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm depth intervals of 32 sites within the Southport Broadwater and surrounding residential canals were analysed for particle size distribution, pH, organic C and ‘near-total’ major (Al, Ca, Fe, Mn) and trace (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sn, Zn) metal contents. Sediment contamination for each trace metal was assessed by (1) comparison with Australian sediment quality guidelines, (2) calculation of the index of geoaccumulation based on regional background values, and (3) geochemical normalisation against Al (i.e. the abundance of alumino-silicate clay minerals). Based on this approach, the results indicate that submerged sediments in the study area are not presently enriched with Cd, Cr or Ni, with the spatial distribution of these metals being very well explained by the abundance of alumino-silicate clay minerals. However, several sites were strongly enriched with Cu, Pb, Sn and Zn, arising from sources related to either urban runoff or vessel maintenance activities. The study indicates that several varying approaches are needed for a satisfactory assessment of contaminant enrichment in estuarine sediments