{"id":10431,"date":"2025-10-17T15:31:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T04:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/latest-news\/\/"},"modified":"2025-11-07T09:42:01","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T22:42:01","slug":"under-the-microscope-clostridioides-difficile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/latest-news\/under-the-microscope-clostridioides-difficile\/","title":{"rendered":"Under the Microscope: Clostridioides difficile"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized is-style-rounded\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"992\" height=\"579\" src=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/10\/Clostridium-difficle_AS_1330509372-1-992x579-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10432\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:1000px;height:300px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/10\/Clostridium-difficle_AS_1330509372-1-992x579-1.jpeg 992w, https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/10\/Clostridium-difficle_AS_1330509372-1-992x579-1-768x448.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/10\/Clostridium-difficle_AS_1330509372-1-992x579-1-320x187.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/10\/Clostridium-difficle_AS_1330509372-1-992x579-1-576x336.jpeg 576w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 992px) 100vw, 992px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-h-5-font-size\"><em>Clostridioides difficile<\/em>, formerly known as\u202f<em>Clostridium difficile<\/em>, is a spore-forming bacterium that causes mild to severe diarrhoea and intestinal conditions like colitis (colon inflammation).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-purple-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c9e50284e55d37bb06749cbf0cc6df40\" id=\"h-where-can-i-be-found\">Where Can I Be Found?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>C. difficile<\/em>\u202f usually live harmlessly in the bowels; therefore, the bacteria and their spores can be found in faeces.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>C. difficile<\/em>&nbsp;colonisation, defined as the detection of the organism without symptoms, is common, occurring in:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>15%\u201330% of residents in long-term care facilities&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4%\u201315% of healthy adults&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Up to 21% of hospitalised adults&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p><strong>Did You Know?<\/strong>&nbsp;<em>C. difficile<\/em>&nbsp;is the most frequent cause of infectious diarrhoea in hospitals and long-term care facilities.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-purple-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9e90c19d5159ba52c3bb96c1d5f5d475\" id=\"h-what-do-i-cause\">What Do I Cause?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For healthy people,\u202f<em>C<\/em>.<em>&nbsp;Difficile\u202fdoes<\/em>&nbsp;not pose a health risk. However, sometimes when antibiotics are taken, the balance of bowel microbial flora can change. This reduction in microbial diversity allows&nbsp;<em>C. difficile<\/em>&nbsp;to multiply and produce toxins. These toxins can damage the bowel and cause diarrhoea.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most cases of&nbsp;<em>C. difficile<\/em>\u202f infection occur while taking antibiotics or not long after the course is finished. The severity of illness can vary, from mild diarrhoea to serious conditions such as pseudomembranous colitis, bowel perforation, sepsis, and in extreme cases, even death.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-style-rounded\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"992\" height=\"523\" src=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/10\/HAIs-Inadequate-hygiene-992x523-2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10435\" style=\"aspect-ratio:4\/3;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/10\/HAIs-Inadequate-hygiene-992x523-2.jpeg 992w, https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/10\/HAIs-Inadequate-hygiene-992x523-2-768x405.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/10\/HAIs-Inadequate-hygiene-992x523-2-320x169.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/10\/HAIs-Inadequate-hygiene-992x523-2-576x304.jpeg 576w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 992px) 100vw, 992px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-style-rounded\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"992\" height=\"657\" src=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/10\/Longer-Hospital-stays-992x657-1.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10434\" style=\"aspect-ratio:4\/3;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/10\/Longer-Hospital-stays-992x657-1.webp 992w, https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/10\/Longer-Hospital-stays-992x657-1-768x509.webp 768w, https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/10\/Longer-Hospital-stays-992x657-1-320x212.webp 320w, https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/10\/Longer-Hospital-stays-992x657-1-576x381.webp 576w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 992px) 100vw, 992px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-purple-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-96f6db67c074f5dc2587d84912793a72\" id=\"h-why-am-i-a-microbial-threat\">Why Am I a Microbial Threat?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>C. difficile<\/em>\u202f can affect anyone, but certain environments and risk factors increase the likelihood of infection. In healthcare settings, where many patients are receiving antibiotics, the presence of&nbsp;<em>C. difficile<\/em>&nbsp;can lead to frequent\u202foutbreaks. The risk of infection is higher for individuals who:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Have had a previous&nbsp;<em>C. difficile<\/em>\u202f infection&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are aged 65 or older&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have recently stayed in a hospital or nursing home&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have weakened immune system, such as those with HIV\/AIDS, cancer, or organ transplant patients taking immunosuppressive drugs.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These factors make&nbsp;<em>C. difficile<\/em>&nbsp;a significant microbial threat, particularly in vulnerable populations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Did You Know?<\/strong>&nbsp;About 1 in 6 patients who get C.&nbsp;<em>difficile<\/em>&nbsp;will likely get it again in the following 2-8 weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p><strong>Did You Know?<\/strong>&nbsp;About 1 in 6 patients who get C.&nbsp;<em>difficile<\/em>&nbsp;will likely get it again in the following 2-8 weeks.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-purple-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8d056b08b2273fc1ae3ba7f38bd1790e\" id=\"h-how-am-i-transmitted\">How Am I Transmitted?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>People can get infected if they touch surfaces contaminated with faeces and then touch their mouths. Healthcare workers can spread the bacteria to their patients if their hands are contaminated.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-purple-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3834c8270b60ff60b469da2351b1fc8f\" id=\"h-how-can-you-defend-against-me\">How Can You Defend Against Me?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To help prevent the spread of\u202f<em>C. difficile<\/em>\u202f infections, always wash your hands with soap and water after using the bathroom and always before eating.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use a separate bathroom, take showers and wash with soap if possible. Wash clothes and sheets contaminated with faeces separately from other washing at the highest possible temperature. Clean the toilets, commodes, and the area around them with disinfectant after each use.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p><strong>Did You Know?<\/strong><em>&nbsp;C. difficile<\/em>&nbsp;can survive on surfaces for up to 5 months because they resist the bactericidal effects of most hospital disinfectants and other decontamination techniques.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Disinfectants with\u202f<strong>Sporicidal activity\u202f<\/strong>are essential for infection control and defence against\u202f<em>C. difficile.<\/em>\u202fThe best practice is to use a high-level disinfectant incorporating robust, broad-spectrum biocidal chemistry to destroy small numbers of\u202f<strong>bacterial spores<\/strong>, most fungal spores, all common vegetive bacteria, mycobacteria, yeast, and viruses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-purple-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-49f90a6b8efa0b9d15f9d18d1bd16c6d\" id=\"h-meet-our-surface-solutions\">Meet our surface solutions<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"tristel-products gutenberg wp-block-create-block-tristel-products\"><div class=\"tristel-products__grid\"><a class=\"product-card\" href=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/product\/tristel-jet\/\">\n\t<div class=\"product-card__image-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/11\/Jet-Foam-AUS-NZ_-WEB-576x576.jpg\" class=\"product-card__image\" alt=\"Disinfectant spray Tristel Jet FOAM creates sporicidal foam for surfaces and equipment\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/11\/Jet-Foam-AUS-NZ_-WEB-576x576.jpg 576w, https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/11\/Jet-Foam-AUS-NZ_-WEB-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/11\/Jet-Foam-AUS-NZ_-WEB-320x320.jpg 320w, https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/11\/Jet-Foam-AUS-NZ_-WEB.jpg 770w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<article class=\"product-card__article\">\n\t\t<h6 class=\"product-card__headline\">Tristel Jet FOAM<\/h6>\n\t\t<span class=\"product-card__hover-effect hover-effect\"\n\t\t\t  style=\"background-color:#20b062\"><\/span>\n\t<\/article>\n<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"product-card\" href=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/product\/tristel-fuse-for-surfaces\/\">\n\t<div class=\"product-card__image-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"425\" src=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/11\/Tristel-Fuse-for-Surfaces-Box-and-Sachet-1600x1180-1-576x425.jpg\" class=\"product-card__image\" alt=\"Surface disinfection solution combines the powerful biocidal efficacy of chlorine dioxide with cleaning action.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/11\/Tristel-Fuse-for-Surfaces-Box-and-Sachet-1600x1180-1-576x425.jpg 576w, https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/11\/Tristel-Fuse-for-Surfaces-Box-and-Sachet-1600x1180-1-768x566.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/11\/Tristel-Fuse-for-Surfaces-Box-and-Sachet-1600x1180-1-992x732.jpg 992w, https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/11\/Tristel-Fuse-for-Surfaces-Box-and-Sachet-1600x1180-1-320x236.jpg 320w, https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/11\/Tristel-Fuse-for-Surfaces-Box-and-Sachet-1600x1180-1-1200x885.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/11\/Tristel-Fuse-for-Surfaces-Box-and-Sachet-1600x1180-1-1400x1033.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/11\/Tristel-Fuse-for-Surfaces-Box-and-Sachet-1600x1180-1.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<article class=\"product-card__article\">\n\t\t<h6 class=\"product-card__headline\">Tristel Fuse for Surfaces<\/h6>\n\t\t<span class=\"product-card__hover-effect hover-effect\"\n\t\t\t  style=\"background-color:#0d5d3e\"><\/span>\n\t<\/article>\n<\/a>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>References:<\/strong><br \/>Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, National Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP) (2022). What Is C. diff? [online] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/cdiff\/what-is.html.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Claro, T., Daniels, S. and Humphreys, H. (2014). Detecting Clostridium difficile Spores from Inanimate Surfaces of the Hospital Environment: Which Method Is Best? Journal of Clinical Microbiology, [online] 52(9), pp.3426\u20133428. doi: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1128\/jcm.01011-14.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>GOV.UK (2022). Clostridioides difficile: guidance, data, and analysis. [online] GOV.UK. Available at: https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/collections\/clostridium-difficile-guidance-data-and-analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>HSE (2023). Clostridioides difficile. [online] HSE.ie. Available at: https:\/\/www.hse.ie\/eng\/services\/list\/2\/gp\/antibiotic-prescribing\/conditions-and-treatments\/gastro\/clostridium-difficile\/.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NHS (2022). Clostridium difficile. [online] NHS. Available at: https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/c-difficile\/.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Public (2014). Fact Sheet \u2013 Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) \u2013 Canada.ca. [online] Canada.ca. Available at: https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/public-health\/services\/infectious-diseases\/fact-sheet-clostridium-difficile-difficile.html.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Clostridioides difficile, formerly known as\u202fClostridium difficile, is a spore-forming bacterium that causes mild to severe diarrhoea and intestinal conditions like colitis (colon inflammation).&nbsp; Where Can I Be Found? C. difficile\u202f [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":10432,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"media_type":[],"portfolio":[],"discipline":[],"class_list":["post-10431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"featured_media_global":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10431"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10431\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10431"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=10431"},{"taxonomy":"portfolio","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio?post=10431"},{"taxonomy":"discipline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/discipline?post=10431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}