Potential sources of Clostridium difficile in human infection

Martijn P Bauer; Ed J Kuijper

doi:10.1016/j.idc.2014.11.010

Potential sources of Clostridium difficile in human infection

Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2015 Mar;29(1):29-35. doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2014.11.010. Epub 2015 Jan 9.

Authors

Martijn P Bauer¹, Ed J Kuijper²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Infectious Diseases, Center for Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden 2333 ZA, The Netherlands.
² Department of Medical Microbiology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden 2333 ZA, The Netherlands. Electronic address: E.J.Kuijper@lumc.nl.

PMID: 25582646
DOI: 10.1016/j.idc.2014.11.010

Abstract

The view of Clostridium difficile infection as a hospital-acquired infection transmitted only by symptomatic patients is changing. Although C difficile is present in food for human consumption, food-borne infection caused by C difficile has never been confirmed. More information on the infective dose and the level of contamination is needed to determine the risk for food-borne exposure to C difficile in humans. The emergence of C difficile polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ribotype 078 in humans is epidemiologically linked to its presence in piglets and calves and their environment, suggesting zoonotic transmission.

Keywords: Animals; Food; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; PCR ribotype 078; Pigs; Spores; Transmission; Zoonosis.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Clostridioides difficile / genetics
Clostridioides difficile / isolation & purification*
Clostridium Infections / microbiology
Clostridium Infections / transmission*
Community-Acquired Infections / microbiology
Community-Acquired Infections / transmission
Disease Reservoirs* / microbiology
Food Contamination
Humans
Meat / microbiology
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Water Microbiology
Zoonoses / microbiology
Zoonoses / transmission*