Outbreak of Clostridium difficile diarrhoea in an orthopaedic unit: evidence by phage-typing for cross-infection

In a three-week period five patients had diarrhoea in an orthopaedic unit. The first case was clinically diagnosed as pseudomembranous colitis but the causative agent was not sought. Of the remaining cases, two were Clostridium difficile positive. The outbreak then apparently ceased, but during the following several days two of seven stool samples taken at random from asymptomatic patients yielded C. difficile. Phage-typing of the isolates showed that all apparently belonged to the same strain.