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Updated: Apr 18, 2026
11:13
Culturing and Maintaining Clostridium difficile in an Anaerobic Environment
Published on: September 14, 2013
40.5K
Colonization versus carriage of Clostridium difficile
Curtis J Donskey1, Sirisha Kundrapu2, Abhishek Deshpande3
1Infectious Diseases Section, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 10701 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Infectious Disease Clinics of North America
|January 18, 2015
Summary
Asymptomatic carriers of toxigenic Clostridium difficile strains are common. These individuals may be an underappreciated source of C. difficile transmission, necessitating a reevaluation of infection control strategies.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Toxigenic Clostridium difficile strains are frequently carried asymptomatically in healthcare settings and the community.
- Current infection control measures primarily target symptomatic patients, potentially overlooking asymptomatic carriers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of Clostridium difficile colonization, including its pathogenesis and epidemiology.
- To review evidence supporting the role of asymptomatic carriers in Clostridium difficile spore shedding and transmission.
- To examine practical strategies for preventing transmission from asymptomatic carriers.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on Clostridium difficile colonization, pathogenesis, epidemiology, and transmission.
- Analysis of evidence regarding spore shedding by asymptomatic carriers.
- Examination of infection control practices and prevention strategies.
Main Results:
- Asymptomatic carriage of toxigenic Clostridium difficile is prevalent.
- Evidence indicates that asymptomatic carriers shed Clostridium difficile spores, contributing to environmental contamination and transmission.
- Existing infection control practices may not adequately address transmission from asymptomatic individuals.
Conclusions:
- Asymptomatic Clostridium difficile carriers represent a significant, yet often overlooked, reservoir for transmission.
- Effective infection control requires strategies that consider and mitigate transmission from asymptomatic carriers.
- Further research and implementation of targeted prevention measures are crucial to control Clostridium difficile spread.
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