Decontamination Strategies for Control of Environmental Clostridium difficile (Decontamination and C. difficile)"

Abstract

 Clostridium difficile is a global nosocomial pathogen associated with increased morbidity and mortality particularly with the emergence of the hypervirulent strains. C. difficile is ubiquitously present in the environment due to contamination by the excreta of humans and animals. In the hospital environment C. difficile can be isolated from about 30% patients receiving antibiotics or those who are hospitalized. C. difficile spores are not only resistant to antibiotics, but they can also resist the harsh environmental conditions for longer times and thereby facilitate the spread of C. difficile infection (CDI). The primary mode of transmission of the disease is via the feco-oral route as symptomatic patients shed a large number of the pathogen resulting in contamination of the environmental surfaces. CDI occurs in patients with certain risk factors and who acquire the pathogen by ingestion or via contaminated equipments. In a hospital setting, outbreaks can occur in hospitals, nursing homes, and other extended-care facilities due to C. difficile. Therefore strategies to reduce the contamination of C. difficile in the environment will be of prime importance to every health care facility. In this review, the environmental reservoirs of C. difficile, the transmission and the risk factors of CDI are briefly described and the decontamination strategies for containing the pathogen are elaborated