Prevalence of Clostridium difficile Among Healthy Chilean Infants: Evaluation by Commercial Enzyme Immunoassay Versus Standard Cytotoxin Assay

Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. This organism is found as part of the gastrointestinal flora in a low percentage of healthy adults. Infants, especially newborns, can have high numbers of C. difficile and high levels of cl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical infectious diseases 1995-06, Vol.20 (Supplement-2), p.S259-S260
Main Authors: Montero, M. Eugenia Valenzuela, Lobos, Teresa, Valenzuela, A., Roos, Orietta, Rodriguez, Luis, Piemonte, Paula, Giglio, M. Soledad
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antigens, Bacterial - analysis
Bacteriological methods and techniques used in bacteriology
Bacteriology
Biological and medical sciences
Cell lines
Child, Preschool
Children
Chile
Clinical Infection
Clostridium difficile
Clostridium difficile - immunology
Clostridium difficile - isolation & purification
Clostridium difficile - metabolism
Cytotoxins
Diarrhea
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Immunoenzyme Techniques
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Infants
Microbiology
Newborns
Prevalence
Specimens
Toxins
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Summary:Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. This organism is found as part of the gastrointestinal flora in a low percentage of healthy adults. Infants, especially newborns, can have high numbers of C. difficile and high levels of clostridial toxins A and B in their stools and still be asymptomatic. In addition, C. difficile has been associated with nosocomial outbreaks of infection among neonates, children, and adults. The transmission of the organism from patient to patient via the hands of hospital personnel may be important. The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence of toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains of C. difficile among healthy Chilean infants (defined as children
ISSN:1058-4838
1537-6591
DOI:10.1093/clinids/20.Supplement_2.S259