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Review
. 2016 Sep;5(3):231-51.
doi: 10.1007/s40121-016-0117-y. Epub 2016 Jul 1.

Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Community-Associated Clostridium difficile Infection: A Narrative Review

Lauren E Bloomfield  1   2 , Thomas V Riley  3   4   5
Affiliations
Review

Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Community-Associated Clostridium difficile Infection: A Narrative Review

Lauren E Bloomfield et al. Infect Dis Ther. 2016 Sep.

Abstract

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) was once considered a primarily nosocomial concern. Emerging evidence from the last 20 years has highlighted a drastic shift in the known epidemiology of CDI, with disease outside of hospitals apparently occurring more frequently and causing severe disease in populations that were thought to be at low risk. This narrative review summarises potential pathways for infection outside of the hospital environment and highlights likely routes of transmission. Further, evidence is presented on potential risk factors for development of disease. Understanding the epidemiology of CDI outside of hospitals is essential to the ability to prevent and control disease in vulnerable populations.

Keywords: Animal reservoir/source; Clostridium difficile infection (CDI); Community-associated CDI; Epidemiology; Risk factors.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Transmission model of community-associated C. difficile. Otten et al. [90]. Reproduced with permission
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