Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a major cause of
healthcare-associated infections worldwide. CDI can cause symptoms from mild
diarrhea to life-threatening toxic megacolon. Antibiotics disrupt the normal
intestinal microflora enabling C. difficile to proliferate in the
colon and produce toxins. Currently, restoring the gut microflora through
methods such as fecal microbiota transplantation is one of the most effective
approaches for the treatment of CDI (read the review). Determining which components of the gut microbiota are required for
protection against CDI remains unclear.
Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle