Prevalence of Clostridium difficile and its cytotoxin in infants in Mexico

Abstract

The incidence of Clostridium difficile and its cytotoxic activity were determined in the feces of 122 children under 1 year of age. Samples were obtained from children receiving antibiotics and with (52 cases) or without (26 cases) diarrhea, from children with diarrhea who did not receive antibiotics (22 cases), and from healthy children (22 cases). Isolation of C. difficile in feces from children in all groups was similar (mean 23.4%) except for the group with non-antibiotic-associated diarrhea (4.5%). In both groups of children receiving antibiotics, with or without diarrhea, the cytotoxin was detected in 7.6% of the cases. In the group with non-antibioticassociated diarrhea, none of the samples was positive for cytotoxicity. In healthy children, cytotoxin was positive in 4.5% of the cases.

Clostridium difficile: its disease and toxins.

“…Infants, for some unknown reason, are refractory to PMC even though they carry high numbers of the organism and high levels of toxins A and B in their stools (5,27,30,31,50,58,89,98,124,136,152,195,212,216,221,233,(235)(236)(237). In fact, it has been estimated that 50% or higher of infants are colonized with toxigenic C. difficile and are asymptomatic.…”

Epidemiology of Clostridium difficile–Associated Diarrhea in a Peruvian Tertiary Care Hospital

“…Studies that have evaluated the presence of C. difficile toxin in stools from children of different ages in Latin America using diverse methodology found a prevalence of 6-8%. [11][12][13] Prevalence of CDAD in adult inpatients from India, Iran, Chile, and Argentina have ranged from 6% to 17%. [14][15][16][17] C. difficile was identified as a major cause of diarrhea among AIDS patients in a Peruvian hospital.…”

Clostridium difficile Colonization in Asymptomatic Infants 1 to 12 Months Old, Admitted to a Community Hospital

“…Previous studies have reported that the incidence of asymptomatic colonization in infants 1 to 12 months old varies from 6.6% to 70%. 1 -36 C difficile is detected by stool evaluation with selective anaerobic culture, enzyme immunoassay, PCR, or cell culture cytotoxin assay. When determined by toxin assay, the colonization rate of C difficile in infants ranges from 4.5% to 54%.…”

“…The presence of C difficile and its toxin has been identified in previously healthy infants without diarrhea, indicating asymptomatic colonization. 1 -36 Previous studies have shown rates of asymptomatic colonization in infants as low as 6.6% and as high as 70%. 1 -36 This is the first study in the state of Arizona that investigates the rate of...…”