C. difficile Microbiome Manipulation

Abstract

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a healthcare-associated infection with significant mortality, morbidity, and cost. Despite efforts by healthcare providers to adhere to infection prevention and control guidelines, CDI remains a significant cause of healthcare-associated infections. Antibiotic overuse, as well as its misuse, remains a significant contributor to CDIs and has also yet to be fully addressed. And since one of the risk factors for developing CDI is alteration of the microbiota of the gut by antimicrobials, manipulation of the human gut microbiome may be a reasonable strategy to prevent and control CDI. Probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and purified bacterial therapeutics are potential approaches that utilize microbiome manipulation in the prevention and treatment of CDI.