Distribution of Clostridium difficile PCR ribotypes in regions of Hungary

The objective of this survey was to determine the distribution of Clostridium difficile PCR ribotypes present across three Hungarian geographical regions. A total of 105 isolates of C. difficile from diarrhoeal faeces of both inpatients and outpatients were examined. The toxigenic status of the strains was determined by PCR for the tcdA, tcdB, cdtA and cdtB genes in Szeged (Hungary), while strains were subjected to PCR ribotyping in Cardiff (UK). A total of 31 ribotypes were detected among the 105 C. difficile isolates tested. Five PCR ribotypes were distinct from all previously described types, suggesting that they are new. The most common types in Hungary, during the period examined, were PCR ribotype 014 (24.8 %) and PCR ribotype 002 (13.3 %). The distribution of PCR ribotypes differed in the various Hungarian regions: PCR ribotype 012 was frequent (20.7 %) in South Hungary, whereas this type was rare in the Budapest region and was not common to West Hungary. In West Hungary and the Budapest region, PCR ribotype 014 was most frequent (28.9 and 29 %, respectively).