A new study has revealed that the presence of Clostridium difficile is widespread in non-healthcare settings around the world. This research from the University of Houston was present at Infectious Disease Society of America IDWeek.
Clostridium difficile, or C diff, is a gram-positive bacterium that causes inflammation of the colon and is the most implicated in antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. The organism is commonly found in water, air, human and animal faeces, hospital surfaces, and soil. Responsible for for almost half a million infections and 15 000 deaths in the US each year, the presence of C diff in community settings has been mostly overlooked.
Over 2014 to 2017, researchers gathered samples from public areas, health care settings, and shoe soles in the US and 11 other countries. They compared the rates of C diff positivity between settings, including shoe soles, which were investigated for their potential role in environmental transmission.
In samples taken from around the world, 26% of environmental samples from health care and non-health care sites tested positive for C diff strains. Shoe soles had the highest positivity rates, with 45% of samples testing positive for the bacteria.
“C diff infection was known historically as a hospital-associated infection, and efforts to reduce the infection and control its spread have been focused on hospitals and long-term care facilities,” said presenting author Jinhee Jo, a postdoctoral infectious disease fellow at the University of Houston. “Recently, cases of community-acquired C diff have been increasing, which suggests the need for broader community stewardship.”
“The results of this study shift our understanding of C diff, including where it is found, how it is transmitted, and who it affects,” said Kevin W. Garey, professor of pharmacy practice at the UH College of Pharmacy. “We can no longer think of C diff as only existing in health care settings, and the population at risk is no longer just the very sick patient in the hospital. Identifying that person at risk anywhere in the world should become a priority regardless of whether the person is in a hospital or the community.”
Source: EurekAlert!
