[Epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection]

Pseudomembranous colitis (PMC), antibiotic-associated diarrhoea (AAD), and colitis (AAC) caused by Clostridium difficile are recognized as complications of antibiotic treatment (cephalosporins, penicillins, clindamycin and others). Two groups are particularly at risk: older and immunocompromised patients. In recent years C. difficile has been recognized as a common nosocomial pathogen. To understand the epidemiology of the C. difficile infection, many outbreaks have been investigated by various methods. In the paper we reviewed different methods of C. difficile typing and discussed the epidemiology of C. difficile-associated infections in light of recent publications.