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Updated: Dec 31, 2025
Culturing and Maintaining Clostridium difficile in an Anaerobic Environment
Published on: September 14, 2013
Low prevalence of Clostridium difficile colonization in patients in long-term care facilities in Graz, Austria: A
Eva Leitner1, Elisabeth Schreiner2, Maria Neuhold3
1Diagnostic & Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Austria.
Background:
We aimed to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic colonization by C. difficile in stool of residents in four long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in Graz, Austria and to identify factors associated with colonization.
Methods:
We conducted a point-prevalence study in March 2018. Stool samples were examined by GDH enzyme immunoassay and when positive a toxin A/B-enzyme immunoassay was carried out. Additionally, all samples were tested by toxin A and B PCR and were plated manually as well as in automated fashion onto selective C. difficile agar.
Results:
In 4/144 (2.8%) residents the GDH assay was positive. Each resident was colonized by a different C. difficile ribotype. C. difficile was not detected in any of the environmental samples. Significantly more colonized residents (60%) had stayed at a hospital in the 3 months previous to the study compared to 10% of non-colonized patients (p=0.01).
Conclusions:
The prevalence of colonization by toxigenic C. difficile was 2.8% in patients in LTCFs in Graz, Austria.
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