title: Potential sources of Clostridium difficile in human infection.
abstract: The view of Clostridium difficile infection as a hospital-acquired infection transmitted only by symptomatic patients is changing. Although C difficile is present in food for human consumption, food-borne infection caused by C difficile has never been confirmed. More information on the infective dose and the level of contamination is needed to determine the risk for food-borne exposure to C difficile in humans. The emergence of C difficile polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ribotype 078 in humans is epidemiologically linked to its presence in piglets and calves and their environment, suggesting zoonotic transmission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Center for Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden 2333 ZA, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martijn P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden 2333 ZA, The Netherlands. Electronic address: E.J.Kuijper@lumc.nl.
authors.forename: Ed J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kuijper
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014871:Water Microbiology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*
keywords: Animals; Food; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; PCR ribotype 078; Pigs; Spores; Transmission; Zoonosis