Clostridioides Difficile

The book provides a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge about Clostridioides (C.) difficile (formerly known as Clostridium difficile) and Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI). The diseases caused by C. difficile range from mild diarrhea to fulminant and in some cases fatal colitis. Historically, CDI was considered mainly as a hospital-acquired problem. Today, a significant portion of CDI is community acquired. Triggered by the introduction of new antibiotics, hypervirulent and multi-drug resistant strains of C. difficile (e.g., C. difficile ribotype R027) have emerged and spread across the globe. The volume covers the microbiology, pathophysiology, epidemiology, risk factors for CDI, diagnosis, clinical pictures, treatment and prophylaxis. It includes an extensive reference list that allows an easy navigation through the original research publications. Clostridioides difficile helps the reader gain a better understanding of C. difficile, the challenges that may arise and the available treatment options. Given its broad coverage and features, it will appeal to a wide readership, from gastroenterologists through general physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers, to students.

This fully updated second edition outlines the currently available clinical, epidemiological and experimental data on Clostridioides difficile infections(CDI) with special emphasis on studies and results achieved in Europe. The incidence and severity of CDI has increased significantly over the last decade, and the book explains why C. difficile, recently reclassified as Clostridioides difficile, remains a significant challenge, also from economic perspective, to health care systems all over the world. The different reservoirs of this ubiquitous microorganism are reviewed as well as the different factors contributing to its virulence, such as toxins and biofilm formation. The rapid evolution of antibiotic resistance is clearly a concern and in a specific way can influence the CDI epidemiology. Additionally, new emerging strains and comparative genomics studies are taken into consideration for their relevance from epidemiological and evolutionary point of view. The book also gives an overview on diagnostics, therapy and surveillance, all of which are still challenging. Therefore, a closer look is taken on the effect of probiotics as an alternative to antibiotics, for prevention and treatment of CDI. Fecal transplantation from healthy donors, passive immunotherapies and vaccines for patients with recurrences are also discussed in dedicated chapters. New topics included sporulation and membrane vesicles in C. difficile. The book closes with a summary of the history and the achievements of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Study Group for Clostridium difficile (ESGCD) written by the current and past presidents of the Society. It is the aim of this book to raise awareness on CDI and to disseminate updated information on its prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

This book outlines the currently available clinical, epidemiological and experimental data on Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) with special emphasis on studies and results achieved in Europe. The incidence and severity of CDI has increased significantly over the last decade, and the book explains why C. difficile, recently reclassified as Clostridioides difficile, remains a significant challenge, also from economic perspective, to health care systems all over the world. The different reservoirs of this ubiquitous microorganism are reviewed as well as the different factors contributing to its virulence, such as toxins and biofilm formation. The rapid evolution of antibiotic resistance is clearly a concern and in a specific way can influence the CDI epidemiology. Additionally, new emerging strains and comparative genomics studies are discussed for their relevance from epidemiological and evolutionary point of view. The book also gives an overview on diagnostics, therapy and surveillance, all of which are still challenging. Therefore, a closer look is taken on the effect of probiotics as an alternative to antibiotics, for prevention and treatment of CDI. Fecal transplantation from healthy donors, passive immunotherapies and vaccines for patients with recurrences are also discussed in dedicated chapters. The book closes with a summary of the history and the achievements of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Study Group for Clostridium difficile (ESGCD) written by the current and past presidents of the Society. It is the aim of this book to raise awareness on CDI and to disseminate updated information on its prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Clostridium difficile bacteria could be found everywhere around us: in the air, water, and soil and in the feces of humans and animals. You can easily become infected with C. difficile if you touch contaminated clothing, sheets, or other objects and then touch your mouth. Many people have the bacteria in their intestines and never have any symptoms. Still, it can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon. The chance of developing a C. difficile infection increases with the usage of high doses of antibiotics over a prolonged period; thus, it is most often spread in the healthcare facilities between workers, patients, and residents. Each year in the United States, almost a half million people get sick from C. difficile, and approximately 29,000 patients died within 30 days of its initial diagnosis. Nowadays, C. difficile infections have become more frequent, severe, and difficult to treat. Therefore, the early diagnosis and the suitable treatment have become a real demand. In this book, we present the experience of worldwide specialists on the diagnosis and the treatment of C. difficile infections along with its lights and shadows.

This issue of Infectious Disease Clinics of North America, guest edited by Dr. Mark H. Wilcox, is devoted to Clostridium Difficile Infection. Articles in this issue include: Potential sources of C. difficile for human infection; Colonisation versus carriage of C. difficile; Diagnostic pitfalls in C. difficile infection; The epidemiology of C. difficile infection in and outside of healthcare institutions; What makes epidemic C. difficile strains epidemic?: Fact versus fiction; Environmental interventions to control C. difficile infection; The contribution of strains and hosts to outcomes in C. difficile infection; Treatment of C. difficile infection; Faecal microbiota transplantation for the management of C. difficile infection; The morbidity, mortality, and costs associated with C. difficile infection; The potential of probiotics to prevent C. difficile infection; The prospect for vaccines to prevent C. difficile infection; and Predictive value of models of C. difficile infection.

Clostridium difficile, a potentially deadly hospital-acquired infection, strikes millions annually around the world. Both the incidence and severity of the disease are growing. A sizable proportion of patients who acquire a C. difficile infection will suffer from repeated recurrences of the disease. This book is meant to educate patients, their families, and their doctors about this growing infectious threat.

This book aims to fill knowledge gap among healthcare workers about Clostridium difficile (also known as C.difficile and CDI) among aging patients, especially those in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Written by experts in infectious diseases and geriatric medicine, this book provides comprehensive information on all aspects of CDI pertaining to LTCF settings, including epidemiology, diagnosis, prevention, management and the unique challenges faced by LTCFs with regards to the CDI problem. The book begins by introducing the topic as it relates to aging patients before delving into the various aspects of CDI management. Topics include infection control and prevention, treatment of CDI, and the establishment of antibiotic stewardship programs to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use and reduce CDI rates. The book also features a chapter on probiotics for the prevention of CDI and new strategies to monitor environmental cleaning practices of CDI patient rooms that do not appear in any other resource. Clostridium Difficile Infection in Long-Term Care Facilities is an excellent resource for geriatricians, infectious diseases specialists, long-term care administrators, nurses, pharmacists, researchers, and all clinicians working with infections in long-term care settings.

Clostridium difficile has been recognized as the cause of a broad spectrum of enteric disease ranging from mild antibiotic-associated diarrhea to pseudomembranous colitis. This volume gives new insights into the microbiology, diagnostics and epidemiology of Clostridium difficile and describes recent strategies in treatment of diseases caused by this agent. Main parts of the volume are devoted to Clostridium difficile toxins A and B which are the major virulence factors. The molecular biology, biochemistry, pharmacology and cell biology of these toxins which are the prototypes of a new family of large clostridial cytotoxins is described in great detail. Clostridium difficile toxins act as glucosyltransferases to inactivate small GTP-binding proteins of the Rho family which are involved in regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, cell adhesion and various signaling processes.