Clostridium difficile infection in the community: a zoonotic disease?

Clostridium difficile – A possible zoonotic link

Clostridium difficile Infection: A Worldwide Disease

Clostridium difficile, an anaerobic toxigenic bacterium, causes a severe infectious colitis that leads to significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Both enhanced bacterial toxins and diminished host immune response contribute to symptomatic disease. C. difficile has been a well-established pathogen in North America and Europe for decades, but is just emerging in Asia. This article reviews ...

Community-Acquired Clostridium difficile Infection, Queensland, Australia

in the case-patient’s family or the community. On the basis of a matching surname, case-patient E was determined to be a member of the same family as case-patients P20, P26, and likely C. Soft tissue infection was documented in all 5 casepatients, supporting the original observation that ST2371 is associated with disease. Evidence of familial transmission in the original outbreak is further sup...

Clostridium difficile: (re)emergence of zoonotic potential.

Transmission routes of pathogenic bacteria can be very complex and can include direct transmission from human to human, contact with environment, contact with animals, aerosol transmission, vectors, and food and water intake. Clostridium difficile was historically regarded as a typically nosocomial pathogen, and hospitalization was one of the main risk factors for development of C. difficile in...

Clostridium difficile infection and liver disease.

The rates of the predominantly hospital acquired infection, Clostridium difficile, have increased throughout the world. Several risk factors and susceptible patient populations have been identified. Patients with pre-existing liver disease represent an important cohort; recent evidence suggests that Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is associated with a worse outcome and increased health ca...