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Clostridium difficile pp 1–33Cite as

Microbiology, Epidemiology and Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile Infection

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Part of the book series: Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology ((CT MICROBIOLOGY,volume 250))

Abstract

Clostridium difficile made its first appearance in the literature when Hall and O’Toole (1935) described Bacillus dificilis as part of the bacterial flora of the meconium and faeces of infants. Although they postulated that toxins from certain strains, when liberated in the infant gut, might play a role in conditions such as the formation of occult blood and febrile convulsions of the newborn. it was not until 1969 that the first real clue to the pathogenic potential of this organism to mammals in the absence of competing colonic microbiota was provided. In experiments on germ-free rats, it was noted that mono-contamination with C. difficile often led to development of transient diarrhoea, which occasionally caused death (Hnmmarstrom et al. 1969). The significance of this finding remained unappreciated until the mid 1970s.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Anaerobe Reference Unit, Public Health Laboratory, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF4 4XW, UK

    J. S. Brazier

  2. Central Public Health Laboratory, 61 Colindale Avenue, London, NW9 5HT, UK

    S. P. Borriello

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  1. J. S. Brazier
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  1. Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 5, 79104, Freiburg i. Br., Germany

    Klaus Aktories

  2. Virginia Tech, Fralin Biotechnology Center, West Campus Drive, MC 0346, 24061, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    Tracy D. Wilkins (Director of Biotechnology) (Director of Biotechnology)

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Brazier, J.S., Borriello, S.P. (2000). Microbiology, Epidemiology and Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile Infection. In: Aktories, K., Wilkins, T.D. (eds) Clostridium difficile. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, vol 250. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-06272-2_1

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