F Barbut1, N Day2, S Bouée3, A Youssouf4, L Grandvoinnet2, V Lalande5, J Couturier4, C Eckert6. 1. National Reference Laboratory for Clostridium difficile, Paris, France; Department of Bacteriology, AP-HP, Saint-Antoine Hospital, Hôpitaux Universitaires de l'Est Parisien, Paris, France; INSERM 1139, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France. Electronic address: frederic.barbut@aphp.fr. 2. Laboratory of Chemin Vert, Paris, France. 3. CEMKA-EVAL, Bourg la Reine, France. 4. National Reference Laboratory for Clostridium difficile, Paris, France; Department of Bacteriology, AP-HP, Saint-Antoine Hospital, Hôpitaux Universitaires de l'Est Parisien, Paris, France. 5. Department of Bacteriology, AP-HP, Saint-Antoine Hospital, Hôpitaux Universitaires de l'Est Parisien, Paris, France. 6. National Reference Laboratory for Clostridium difficile, Paris, France; Department of Bacteriology, AP-HP, Saint-Antoine Hospital, Hôpitaux Universitaires de l'Est Parisien, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Centre d'immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses-Paris (CIMI), Paris, France. Electronic address: Catherine.eckert@aphp.fr.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Reported rates of community-acquired Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs) have been increasing. However, the true burden of the disease in general practice is unknown in France. Our objective was to determine the incidence of toxigenic C. difficile carriage and the percentage of stool samples prescribed by general practitioners (GPs) which contained free C. difficile toxins. METHODS: During an 11-month period, all stool samples submitted for any enteric pathogen detection to 15 different private laboratories in Paris and the surrounding areas were tested for C. difficile, irrespective of the GPs' request. A clinical questionnaire was completed for each patient. Stool samples were screened using a rapid simultaneous glutamate dehydrogenase and toxins A/B detection test: any positive result (glutamate dehydrogenase or toxin) was further confirmed by the stool cytotoxicity assay (CTA) on MRC-5 cells and by toxigenic culture (TC) at a central laboratory. The C. difficile isolates were characterized by PCR ribotyping. RESULTS: A total of 2541 patients (1295 female, 1246 male) were included. The incidences of patients with a positive toxigenic culture and a positive CTA were 3.27% (95% CI 2.61%-4.03%) and 1.81% (95% CI 1.33%-2.41%), respectively. GPs requested C. difficile testing in only 12.93% of the stool samples, detecting 52.30% of all TC-positive patients. The 83 toxigenic C. difficile strains belonged to 36 different PCR ribotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Toxigenic C. difficile carriage is frequent in general practice but remains under-recognized. It may affect young patients without previous antimicrobial therapy or hospitalization.
OBJECTIVES: Reported rates of community-acquired Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs) have been increasing. However, the true burden of the disease in general practice is unknown in France. Our objective was to determine the incidence of toxigenic C. difficile carriage and the percentage of stool samples prescribed by general practitioners (GPs) which contained free C. difficile toxins. METHODS: During an 11-month period, all stool samples submitted for any enteric pathogen detection to 15 different private laboratories in Paris and the surrounding areas were tested for C. difficile, irrespective of the GPs' request. A clinical questionnaire was completed for each patient. Stool samples were screened using a rapid simultaneous glutamate dehydrogenase and toxins A/B detection test: any positive result (glutamate dehydrogenase or toxin) was further confirmed by the stool cytotoxicity assay (CTA) on MRC-5 cells and by toxigenic culture (TC) at a central laboratory. The C. difficile isolates were characterized by PCR ribotyping. RESULTS: A total of 2541 patients (1295 female, 1246 male) were included. The incidences of patients with a positive toxigenic culture and a positive CTA were 3.27% (95% CI 2.61%-4.03%) and 1.81% (95% CI 1.33%-2.41%), respectively. GPs requested C. difficile testing in only 12.93% of the stool samples, detecting 52.30% of all TC-positive patients. The 83 toxigenic C. difficile strains belonged to 36 different PCR ribotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Toxigenic C. difficile carriage is frequent in general practice but remains under-recognized. It may affect young patients without previous antimicrobial therapy or hospitalization.
Authors: Nieves Sopena; Jun Hao Wang-Wang; Irma Casas; Lourdes Mateu; Laia Castellà; María José García-Quesada; Sara Gutierrez; Josep M Llibre; M Luisa Pedro-Botet; Gema Fernandez-Rivas Journal: Microorganisms Date: 2022-05-23
Authors: Karuna E W Vendrik; Amoe Baktash; Jelle J Goeman; Céline Harmanus; Daan W Notermans; Sabine C de Greeff; Ed J Kuijper Journal: Lancet Reg Health Eur Date: 2022-06-28
Authors: Virginie F Viprey; Georgina L Davis; Anthony D Benson; Duncan Ewin; William Spittal; Jon J Vernon; Maja Rupnik; Alice Banz; Florence Allantaz; Philippe Cleuziat; Mark H Wilcox; Kerrie A Davies Journal: Euro Surveill Date: 2022-06