Clostridium difficile exposures, colonization, and the microbiome: Implications for prevention

Abstract

New studies have been published regarding the epidemiology of Clostridium difficile in topics such as asymptomatic C. difficile colonization, community-associated C. difficile infection, environmental contamination outside healthcare settings, animal colonization, and the interactions between C. difficile and the gut microbiome. In addition to summarizing these findings, this review offers a perspective on the potential impact of high-throughput sequencing and other potential techniques on the prevention of C. difficile. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:596-602