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Potential sources of Clostridium difficile in human infection
Martijn P Bauer1, Ed J Kuijper2
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Center for Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden 2333 ZA, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
The view of Clostridium difficile infection as a hospital-acquired infection transmitted only by symptomatic patients is changing. Although C difficile is present in food for human consumption, food-borne infection caused by C difficile has never been confirmed. More information on the infective dose and the level of contamination is needed to determine the risk for food-borne exposure to C difficile in humans. The emergence of C difficile polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ribotype 078 in humans is epidemiologically linked to its presence in piglets and calves and their environment, suggesting zoonotic transmission.
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