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Culturing and Maintaining Clostridium difficile in an Anaerobic Environment
Published on: September 14, 2013
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Environmental contamination with Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile in Vietnam
Peng An Khun1, Long Duc Phi2, Huong Thi Thu Bui3
1School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands 6009, Western Australia, Australia.
Journal of Applied Microbiology
|June 9, 2023
Summary
Environmental Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) contamination is prevalent in Vietnam, particularly in soils. This highlights the importance of environmental sources in C. difficile infection epidemiology and control.
Area of Science:
- Environmental microbiology
- Infectious disease epidemiology
- Antimicrobial resistance
Background:
- Limited data exists on Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) in Vietnam's environment.
- Understanding environmental reservoirs is crucial for controlling C. difficile infections (CDI).
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and molecular characteristics of C. difficile in Vietnamese environmental samples.
- To assess the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of environmental C. difficile isolates.
Main Methods:
- Environmental samples (pig feces, farm soils, potatoes, hospital environments) were cultured for C. difficile.
- Isolates were identified and typed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ribotyping.
- Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on identified isolates.
Main Results:
- Overall C. difficile prevalence was 24.5%, with high detection rates in pig farm soils (70-100%) and hospital soils.
- Prevalent ribotypes included RTs 001, 009, 038, and QX574.
- While generally susceptible to key antibiotics, toxigenic strains showed common resistance to erythromycin, tetracycline, and moxifloxacin; specific ribotypes were multidrug-resistant.
Conclusions:
- Environmental C. difficile, especially contaminated soils, is a significant factor in CDI epidemiology in Vietnam.
- Contaminated soils present challenges for infection control in healthcare settings.
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