Hospital Clostridium difficile outbreak linked to laundry machine malfunction.
Clostridium difficile is a gram-positive, spore-forming anaerobic bacillus that is associated with diarrheal disease. C difficile is shed in the feces of affected individuals and its spores can survive on surfaces for prolonged periods of time. These spores can contaminate a hospital environment by spread through health care workers and suboptimal environmental cleaning practices. We report an outbreak of health care facility-onset C difficile infection that was eventually linked to contaminated mop pads after a laundry machine malfunction.
Department of Internal Medicine, Easton Hospital, Easton, PA. Electronic address: shelinis@hotmail.com.
Shelini
S
Sooklal
Department of Internal Medicine, Easton Hospital, Easton, PA.
Ayesha
A
Khan
Department of Internal Medicine, Easton Hospital, Easton, PA.
Saman
S
Kannangara
D016360:Clostridioides difficile; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006797:Housekeeping, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007846:Laundering / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007847:Laundry Service, Hospital
Feces; Floor; Mop; Nosocomial; Stool