title: Transmission of Clostridium difficile in foods.
abstract: Clostridium difficile is a human intestinal pathogen most frequently involved in diarrheal illnesses following the administration of antibiotics. There is growing concern that some C difficile infections (CDI) may be acquired from ingestion of C difficile spores in contaminated foods. The number of CDI cases is increasing with a heightening in the severity of disease symptoms and an increasing number of community-associated infections not connected to health care-associated risk. This article provides an overview of information related to assessing the risk of foodborne transmission of CDI, highlighting studies on C difficile relevant to food safety in health care settings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal & Food Sciences, University of Delaware, 531 South College Avenue, Newark, DE 19716-2150, USA. Electronic address: dgh@udel.edu.
authors.forename: Dallas G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Hoover
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Palacios
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D005506:Food Contamination; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology; D011200:Poultry / Q000382:microbiology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000382:microbiology
keywords: Antibiotic treatment; Clostridium difficile; Foods; Pseudomembranous colitis; Zoonosis