Clostridium difficile infection causes

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For more details about the conditions that are associated with the development of C. difficile infection (e.g. list of antibiotics), click here

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Yazan Daaboul, M.D.

Overview

C. difficile infection is caused by Clostridium difficile, a spore-forming, toxin-producing, oligate anaerobic, gram-positive bacillus.

Cause of Clostridium difficile infection

C. difficile infection is caused by Clostridium difficile. C. difficile has the following characteristic features:

• Bacillus
• Gram-positive
• Obligate anaerobe
• Spore-forming (spores are acid-, heat-, and antibiotic-resistant)
• Toxin-producing (exotoxins A and B)
• Motile
  

C. difficile is difficult to isolate and grow in cultures. Because the organism is very sensitive to oxygen (obligate anaerobe), spore formation is essential for the organism to be transmitted from one host to another.