November is Clostridioides difficile Awareness Month
C. difficile infection is one of the most prevalent infections associated with health care, affecting both hospitalized patients and individuals in the community. Notably, there is an increasing realization that cases also occur in subjects not recently exposed to antibiotics or other health care interventions. CDI carries a considerable level of threat, with far-reaching impacts in both endemic and epidemic settings. It is a major cause of diarrhea and more serious intestinal conditions, such as colitis. Infections pose an extensive burden in terms of morbidity, mortality and health care resource utilization, so they require effective prevention and management strategies.
In 2017, COMBACTE started a collaborative approach to integrate European expertise on clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic matters related to C. difficile infections (CDI). The project, ended in 2021, focused on developing a detailed understanding of the epidemiology and clinical impact of CDI across the whole healthcare economy in Europe.
The research from COMBACTE-CDI revealed that there are many cases in the community that aren’t being counted, meaning people are being exposed to the bug out in the real world and getting sick but not getting diagnosed. The findings are important for places like hospitals and care homes where rates of CDI are high, and for public health decision-makers who need to know the scale of the problem they are dealing with.
Results of the research done within the COMBACTE-CDI work packages have been published in peer reviewed journals:
Viprey VF, Davis GL, Benson AD, Ewin D, Spittal W, Vernon JJ, Rupnik M, Banz A, Allantaz F, Cleuziat P, et al. A point-prevalence study on community and inpatient Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI): results from Combatting Bacterial Resistance in Europe CDI (COMBACTE-CDI), July to November 2018. Euro Surveill. 2022;27(26):pii=2100704
https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.26.2100704
Tkalec V., Viprey V., Davis D., Janezic S., Sente B., Devos N., Wilcox M., Davies K., Rupnik M., COMBACTE-CDI consortium. Clostridioides difficile positivity rate and PCR ribotype distribution on retail potatoes in 12 European countries, January to June 2018. Euro Surveill. 2022;27(15):pii=2100417
https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.15.2100417
Boekhoud IM, Sidorov I, Nooij S, Harmanus C., Bos-Sanders IMJG, Viprey V, Spittal W, Clark E, Davies K, Freeman J, et al. Haem is crucial for medium-dependent metronidazole resistance in clinical isolates of Clostridioides difficile. J Antimicrob Chemother
https://doi.org/10.1093/jac/dkab097
About COMBACTE-CDI
COMBACTE-CDI‘s primary goal was to develop a detailed understanding of the epidemiology and clinical impact of Clostridioides difficile infection across Europe. The ultimate goal was to contribute to improved prevention and treatment options for such infections that are responsible for extensive morbidity, mortality and health care costs.
Related updates
Reflecting on COMBACTE-CDI
Could potatoes play a role in C. difficile transmission?
