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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of infection control 2014-06, Vol.42 (6), p.674-675
Main Authors: Sooklal, Shelini, MD, Khan, Ayesha, MD, Kannangara, Saman, MD
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacterial diseases
Bacterial diseases of the digestive system and abdomen
Biological and medical sciences
Clostridium difficile
Cross Infection - epidemiology
Disease Outbreaks
Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous - epidemiology
Epidemics
Epidemiology. Vaccinations
Equipment Failure
Feces
Floor
General aspects
Gram-positive bacteria
Hospitals
Hospitals, Community
Housekeeping, Hospital
Human bacterial diseases
Human infectious diseases. Experimental studies and models
Humans
Incidence
Infection Control
Infectious Disease
Infectious diseases
Laundering - instrumentation
Laundry Service, Hospital
Medical sciences
Mop
Nosocomial
Nosocomial infections
Stool
Washers & dryers
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Description
Summary: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.
ISSN:0196-6553
1527-3296
DOI:10.1016/j.ajic.2014.02.012