While Clostridium difficile bacteria are commonly found in healthcare settings, a new study published in Zoonoses and Public Health found sandboxes in recreational settings can harbor multiple C. diff bacteria strains.
For the study, researchers from the Veterinary Medicine at Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain tested 20 sandboxes for children and 20 sandboxes for dogs in local parks.
Twenty-one sandboxes tested positive for C. diff, and eight contained toxin-forming strains capable of sickening humans. C. diff prevalence did not significantly differ among children's and dog's sandboxes or among sampling zones. Researchers also noted the C. diff samples were genentically diverse and demonstrated resistance to several antibiotics.
Researchers said the findings represent a major health risk. Additionally, because the pathogen has the potential for animal-to-human transmission, the possible presence of C. diff "should be considered in any environmental risk assessment," concluded the researchers.
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