Table 5 The prevalence of C. difficile toxin genes in each sample type

A

Milk/Dairy

1

92.86

42.28

99.57

1.75

0.08

0.00

R-meat

21

82.84

70.03

90.89

4.25

0.00

72.93

R-poultry

4

66.43

44.94

82.75

1.51

0.13

28.75

RTE meat

1

95.83

57.54

99.74

2.17

0.03

0.00

Salad

2

87.50

46.27

98.27

1.82

0.07

0.00

Seafood

6

59.70

50.15

68.56

1.99

0.05

28.90

Veg

2

79.71

57.76

91.86

2.54

0.01

13.03

Overall

37

68.76

62.02

74.79

5.180

0.000

64.57

Test of heterogeneity between subgroups: Q-value: 15.01, p value: 0.020

B

Milk/Dairy

1

92.86

42.28

99.57

1.75

0.08

0.00

R-meat

21

81.53

66.35

90.80

3.61

0.00

75.38

R-poultry

4

61.19

40.70

78.36

1.07

0.28

26.09

RTE meat

1

95.83

57.54

99.74

2.17

0.03

0.00

Salad

2

87.50

46.27

98.27

1.82

0.07

0.00

Seafood

6

56.78

43.42

69.22

0.99

0.32

57.52

Veg

2

95.61

58.20

99.71

2.20

0.03

43.95

Overall

37

68.38

59.75

75.91

4.016

0.000

68.68

Test of heterogeneity between subgroups: Q-value: 14.96, p value: 0.020

CDT

Milk/Dairy

1

16.67

2.28

63.13

− 1.47

0.14

0.00

R-meat

14

58.10

35.39

77.83

0.69

0.49

70.99

R-poultry

4

49.23

11.15

88.22

− 0.03

0.98

78.35

RTE meat

1

95.83

57.54

99.74

2.17

0.03

0.00

Salad

2

87.50

46.27

98.27

1.82

0.07

0.00

Seafood

5

28.58

11.54

55.12

− 1.60

0.11

79.94

Overall

27

51.16

36.47

65.66

0.152

0.879

79.02

Test of heterogeneity between subgroups: Q-value: 13.20, p value: 0.021

tcdC18

R-meat

7

17.29

10.83

26.45

− 5.65

0.00

0.00

R-poultry

1

23.53

9.12

48.55

− 2.06

0.04

0.00

RTE meat

1

36.36

14.33

66.12

− 0.89

0.37

0.00

Overall

9

20.35

13.96

28.68

− 5.893

0.000

0.00

Test of heterogeneity between subgroups: Q-value: 2.28, p value: 0.32

tcdC39

R-meat

6

63.98

39.88

82.63

1.14

0.25

78.03

R-poultry

1

76.47

51.45

90.88

2.06

0.04

0.00

RTE meat

1

63.64

33.88

85.67

0.89

0.37

0.00

Seafood

1

91.67

37.82

99.50

1.62

0.10

0.00

Overall

9

69.81

55.46

81.12

2.654

0.008

68.67

Test of heterogeneity between subgroups: Q-value: 1.94, p value: 0.58

tcdC

R-meat

4

42.31

9.65

83.43

− 0.32

0.75

74.84

R-poultry

1

70.00

37.63

90.02

1.23

0.22

0.00

Seafood

1

23.08

10.75

42.76

− 2.59

0.01

0.00

Overall

6

37.08

22.57

54.37

− 1.472

0.141

72.61

Test of heterogeneity between subgroups: Q-value: 6.13, p value: 0.05

tcdC117

R-meat

4

16.70

4.15

48.15

− 2.05

0.04

63.48

Overall

4

16.70

4.15

48.15

− 2.054

0.040

63.48

Test of heterogeneity between subgroups: Q-value: 0.00, p value:1.0

cdtA

R-meat

2

27.28

12.80

48.95

− 2.05

0.04

0.00

Seafood

1

30.77

16.20

50.55

− 1.91

0.06

0.00

Overall

3

29.20

18.12

43.47

− 2.786

0.005

0.00

Test of heterogeneity between subgroups: Q-value: 0.07, p value: 0.79