[en] Clostridium difficile is the primary cause of nosocomial diarrhoea and pseudomembranous colitis after use of antibiotics. Production of toxins A and B are the main virulence factors responsible for its pathogenicity. Increasing age, several co-morbidities, environmental contamination, antibiotic exposure and other intestinal perturbations appear to be the greatest risk factors for C. difficile infection (CDI). Therefore, elderly care home residents are considered particularly vulnerable to CDI.
The aim of this study was to evaluate and follow the prevalence of C. difficile in a Belgian nursing home and to characterize the C. difficile strains isolated from faeces of elderly care home residents.
Disciplines :
Microbiology
Author, co-author :
Rodriguez Diaz, Cristina ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de sciences des denrées alimentaires > Technologie des denrées alimentaires
Language :
English
Title :
MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE STRAINS FROM ELDERLY CARE HOME RESIDENTS
