Epidemiology of Clostridioides difficile infection at one hospital 10 years after an outbreak of the epidemic C. difficile strain BI/027: changing strain prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibilities, and patient antibiotic exposures

• Published in: Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy 2024-08, Vol.68 (8), p.e0069824
• Main Authors: Wieczorkiewicz, Jeffrey T, Skinner, Andrew M, Cheknis, Adam, Petrella, Laurica A, Stevens, Vanessa W, Wright, Lorinda M, Gerding, Dale N, Johnson, Stuart
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Azithromycin - pharmacology; Azithromycin - therapeutic use; Cephalosporins - pharmacology; Cephalosporins - therapeutic use; Clinical Microbiology; Clostridioides difficile - drug effects; Clostridioides difficile - isolation & purification; Clostridium Infections - drug therapy; Clostridium Infections - epidemiology; Clostridium Infections - microbiology; Cross Infection - drug therapy; Cross Infection - epidemiology; Cross Infection - microbiology; Disease Outbreaks; Epidemiology and Surveillance; Female; Fluoroquinolones - pharmacology; Fluoroquinolones - therapeutic use; Hospitals; Humans; Male; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Prohibitins
• ISSN: 0066-4804; 1098-6596; 1098-6596
• DOI: 10.1128/aac.00698-24

In contrast to the epidemiology 10 years earlier at our hospital when the epidemic restriction endonuclease analysis (REA) group strain BI accounted for 72% of isolates recovered from first-episode infection (CDI) cases, BI represented 19% of first-episode CDI isolates in 2013-2015. Two additional REA group strains accounted for 31% of isolates (Y, 16%; DH, 12%). High-level resistance to fluoroquinolones and azithromycin was more common among BI isolates than among DH, Y, and non-BI/DH/Y isolates. Multivariable analysis revealed that BI cases were 2.47 times more likely to be associated with fluoroquinolone exposure compared to non-BI cases (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12-5.46). In addition, the odds of developing a CDI after third- or fourth-generation cephalosporin exposure was 2.83 times for DH cases than for non-DH cases (95% CI: 1.06-7.54). Fluoroquinolone use in the hospital decreased from 2005 to 2015 from a peak of 113 to a low of 56 antimicrobial days/1,000 patient days. In contrast, cephalosporin use increased from 42 to 81 antimicrobial days/1,000 patient days. These changes correlated with a decrease in geometric mean MIC for ciprofloxacin (61.03 to 42.65 mg/L, = 0.02) and an increase in geometric mean MIC for ceftriaxone (40.87 to 86.14 mg/L, < 0.01) among BI isolates. The BI strain remained resistant to fluoroquinolones, but an overall decrease in fluoroquinolone use and increase in cephalosporin use were associated with a decrease in the prevalence of BI, an increased diversity of strain types, and the emergence of strains DH and Y.