The importance of gut microbiota in C. difficile pathogenesis

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