Isolation of Clostridioides difficile PCR Ribotype 027 from single-use hospital gown ties

Background. Clostridioides difficile is a spore-forming pathogen responsible for antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. In the USA high incidence of C. difficile infection (CDI) in clinical environments has led to interest in C. difficile spore transmission.Hypothesis. Single use hospital surgical gown ties act as a reservoir for C. difficile spores.Aim. This study sought to examine whether single-use hospital surgical gown ties used in surgery, from an acute healthcare facility, harboured C. difficile spores.Methodology. Used surgical gowns ties worn by clinicians in the healthcare facility were examined for C. difficile spore presence via spread plate and anaerobic culture. The colonies isolated from each gown tie were subcultured on C. difficile selective agar for phenotypic confirmation. Presumptive C. difficile colonies were examined using C. difficile Quik Check Complete, 16-23S PCR Ribotyping and MALDI-TOF analysis.Results. In total 17 suspected C. difficile colonies were isolated from 15 gown ties via culture. C. difficile Quik Check Complete found two isolates as possible C. difficile. MALDI-TOF and PCR Ribotyping confirmed one isolate as C. difficile PCR ribotype 027 associated with clinical outbreaks.Discussion. Our study revealed the presence of hypervirulent C. difficile ribotype 027 spores on single-use gown ties. This highlights the potential of gown ties as a vector of spore transmission across clinical environments, especially when gowns are not worn appropriately.Conclusions. Appropriate compliance to infection control procedures by healthcare workers is essential to prevent spore dissemination across clinical facilities and reduce CDI rates.