Spread and Epidemiology of Clostridium difficile Polymerase Chain Reaction Ribotype 027/Toxinotype III in The Netherlands

Background. After reports of emerging outbreaks in Canada and the United States, Clostridium difficile —associated disease (CDAD) due to polymerase chain reaction ribotype 027 was detected in 2 medium-to-large hospitals in The Netherlands in 2005. Methods. National surveillance was initiated to investigate the spread and the epidemiology of CDAD. Microbiologists were asked to send strains recovered from patients with a severe course of CDAD or recovered when an increased incidence of CDAD was noted. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect demographic, clinical, and epidemiological pat... Mehr ...