A New, More Virulent Strain of C. difficile

The new strain appears to be responsible for unusually severe hospital-acquired disease and possibly some unexpected cases of community-acquired disease.

Clostridium difficile has been a familiar nosocomial pathogen for decades, but its well-known disease patterns are changing: Studies are finding unusual frequency and severity of hospital-acquired disease and unexpected cases of community-acquired disease. Is a new strain responsible?

Researchers studied 187 isolates of C. difficile collected from patients at eight healthcare facilities in six states where outbreaks of C. difficile-associated disease (CDAD) had occurred. About half of the isolates proved to be the strain associated with recent hospital outbreaks. This strain has a unique toxin profile thought to represent increased virulence and also has more extensive quinolone resistance than most other strains.

Canadian researchers studied…

Reviewing Author

Abigail Zuger, MD