Background: Clostridium difficile is of growing importance as a hospital-acquired pathogen. Pseudomembraneous colitis is the main clinical disease. Transmission and epidemiological features are not yet fully understood.
Patients and methods: Stool samples from 1164 individuals (571 women and 593 men) attending were examined for the presence of C. difficile. Follow-up examinations and molecular typing methods were used for the detection nosocomial transmissions. Additionally, hospital-borne environmental samples as well as staff samples were tested.
Results: Incidence of C. difficile infection was 8.4%. Nearly all patients (92.9%) had antibiotics given. Using molecular typing nosocomial transmission was evident. Though, environmental samples in general had a low positivity, toilet chairs were contaminated in 15.4% and may be a potential source of transmission. Staff was positive in only one case.
Conclusions: Prevention of infections with C. difficile becomes to be a major threat for the clinical and hygienic management.