title: Clostridium difficile infection.
abstract: Clostridium difficile is the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea in Europe and North America and is a serious reemerging pathogen. Recent outbreaks have led to increasing morbidity and mortality and have been associated with a new strain (BI/NAP1/027) of C difficile that produces more toxin than historic strains. With the increasing incidence of C difficile infection, clinicians have also seen a change in the epidemiology with increased infections in previously low-risk populations. This chapter highlights the current knowledge on C difficile virulence, human disease, epidemic outbreaks and optimal treatment strategies.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Internal Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104, USA.
authors.forename: Latisha
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Heinlen
authors.forename: Jimmy D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Ballard
mesh_terms: D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence