Clindamycin-associated colitis due to a toxin-producing species of Clostridium in hamsters.

Clindamycin-associated enterocolitis in hamsters was studied to detect and characterize a transmissible agent. It was found that the disease could be transferred by cecal contents and filtrates of cecal contents (pore size of filter, 0.02 micron) obtained from animals after administration of clindamycin. Subsequent work showed that enterocolitis could be produced with broth cultures of a species of Clostridium recovered from cecal contents of animals with clindamycin-induced disease. The cell-free supernatant of this strain also caused enterocolitis. Cecal contents from animals with clindamycin-induced disease incubated with gas gangrene antitoxin failed to cause intestinal lesions. These experiments indicate that clindamycin-associated colitis in hamsters is due to a clindamycin-resistant, toxin-producing strain of Clostridium.