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Clostridium difficile colonization in healthy adults: transient colonization and correlation with enterococcal
Eijiro Ozaki1, Haru Kato1, Hiroyuki Kita1
1Department of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan 2Yakult Central Institute for Microbiological Research, Tokyo 186-8650, Japan.
Journal of Medical Microbiology
|January 20, 2004
Summary
Clostridium difficile colonization in healthy adults can be transient or persistent. Dense colonization by enterococci may be associated with C. difficile presence.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Gastroenterology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Clostridium difficile is an opportunistic pathogen.
- Understanding C. difficile colonization in healthy individuals is crucial for infection control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and patterns of Clostridium difficile colonization in healthy adults.
- To explore potential associations between C. difficile colonization and enterococcal density.
- To identify factors influencing C. difficile colonization persistence and transmission.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 139 healthy adults over 3 months.
- Isolation and characterization of C. difficile using PCR ribotyping and PFGE.
- Quantification of enterococcal colonization in C. difficile-positive and -negative subjects.
Main Results:
- C. difficile was isolated from 18 (13%) healthy subjects.
- Colonization was transient in most subjects, but persistent colonization occurred in some.
- Higher enterococcal density was observed in subjects colonized by C. difficile, particularly those with repeated isolation.
Conclusions:
- Healthy individuals can be persistently colonized by C. difficile.
- Cross-transmission of C. difficile strains may occur in certain groups.
- Dense enterococcal colonization might be linked to C. difficile colonization.