Asymptomatic Clostridium difficile colonization as a reservoir for Clostridium difficile infection.
Clostridium difficile (CD) infection (CDI) is the leading cause of healthcare associated diarrhea despite intense hospital infection prevention programs. A substantial proportion of the population is asymptomatically colonized with CD, and evidence is mounting that these individuals serve as a reservoir for CDI. The purpose of this review is to discuss the mechanisms by which individuals may harbor toxigenic CD but remain asymptomatic, the evidence that asymptomatically colonized individuals serve as a source of CDI, and the implications of this potential CD reservoir for healthcare infection prevention.
Division of Infectious Diseases, Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research Unit, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PA, USA.
Alison L
AL
Galdys
Scott R
SR
Curry
Lee H
LH
Harrison
D000818:Animals; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D006801:Humans
Clostridium difficile; Clostridium difficile infection; asymptomatic carriage; colonization; epidemiology; molecular epidemiology