What do we know about the diagnostics, treatment and epidemiology of Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile infection in Europe?

Abstract

Clostridium difficile, recently reclassified as Clostridioides difficile is responsible for a significant part of diarrheal diseases in the hospitals and in the community. Besides the main pathogenic factors, toxin A, toxin B and the binary toxin, several other putative virulence factors have been investigated. This manuscript summarize recent findings in Europe concerning source of infection, epidemiology of CDI, the changing pattern of PCR ribotypes of C. difficile strains in different European countries, recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of CDI.

Keywords: Clostridioides difficile; Diagnostics; Epidemiology; European perspective; Pathogenesis; Therapy.