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Clostridioides difficile contamination in a clinical microbiology laboratory? 2020

E Reigadas, and S Vázquez-Cuesta, and R Onori, and L Villar-Gómara, and L Alcalá, and M Marín, and A Martin, and P Muñoz, and E Bouza
Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: helenrei@hotmail.com.

OBJECTIVE Clostridioides difficile infection has traditionally been considered to be transmitted predominantly within health-care settings. It is not recognized as a pathogen that presents a risk of laboratory acquisition. Data on laboratory contamination and acquisition by laboratory personnel are lacking. Our objective was to assess environmental contamination by C. difficile and its potential for transmission in a clinical microbiology laboratory. METHODS Laboratory surfaces were screened for C. difficile. Samples were taken in areas that handle C. difficile isolates (high-exposure (HE) areas), areas adjacent to HE areas or those processing faecal samples (medium-exposure (ME) areas), and areas that do not process faecal samples or C. difficile isolates (low-exposure (LE) areas). We examined C. difficile carriage (hands/rectal samples) of laboratory workers. RESULTS A total of 140 environmental samples were collected from two HE areas (n = 56), two ME areas (n = 56) and two LE areas (n = 28). Overall, 37.8% (37/98) of surfaces were contaminated with C. difficile, and 17.3% (17/98) with toxigenic C. difficile (TCD). HE areas were significantly more contaminated with TCD than LE areas (38.1% (16/42) versus 0.0% (0/14), p 0.005) and ME areas (38.1% (16/42) versus 2.4% (1/42), p <0.001). Hands were colonized with TCD in 11.8% (4/34) of cases. We found no rectal carriage of C. difficile. CONCLUSIONS We found a significant proportion of laboratory surfaces to be contaminated with toxigenic C. difficile, as well as hand colonization of laboratory personnel. We recommend specific control measures for high-risk areas and laboratory personnel working in these areas.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D003015 Clostridium Infections Infections with bacteria of the genus CLOSTRIDIUM and closely related CLOSTRIDIOIDES species. Clostridioides Infections,Clostridioides difficile Infection,Clostridioides perfringens Food Poisoning,Clostridioides perfringens Infections,Clostridioides sordellii Infection,Clostridium difficile Infections,Clostridium sordellii Infections,Clostridium difficile Infection,Clostridium perfringens Food Poisoning,Clostridium perfringens Infections,Clostridium sordellii Infection,Infections, Clostridium,Clostridioides Infection,Clostridioides perfringens Infection,Clostridium Infection,Clostridium perfringens Infection,Infection, Clostridioides difficile,Infection, Clostridioides sordellii,Infection, Clostridium,Infection, Clostridium difficile,Infection, Clostridium sordellii
D004783 Environmental Microbiology The study of microorganisms living in a variety of environments (air, soil, water, etc.) and their pathogenic relationship to other organisms including man. Microbiology, Environmental
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001431 Bacteriological Techniques Techniques used in studying bacteria. Bacteriologic Technic,Bacteriologic Technics,Bacteriologic Techniques,Bacteriological Technique,Technic, Bacteriological,Technics, Bacteriological,Technique, Bacteriological,Techniques, Bacteriological,Bacteriologic Technique,Bacteriological Technic,Bacteriological Technics,Technic, Bacteriologic,Technics, Bacteriologic,Technique, Bacteriologic,Techniques, Bacteriologic
D016360 Clostridioides difficile A common inhabitant of the colon flora in human infants and sometimes in adults. The type species Clostridioides difficile is formerly known as Clostridium difficile. It is a causative agent for CLOSTRIDIOIDES INFECTIONS and is associated with PSEUDOMEMBRANOUS ENTEROCOLITIS in patients receiving antibiotic therapy. Clostridium difficile
D019411 Clinical Laboratory Techniques Techniques used to carry out clinical investigative procedures in the diagnosis and therapy of disease. Clinical Laboratory Test,Clinical Laboratory Testing,Clinical Laboratory Diagnoses,Clinical Laboratory Testings,Clinical Laboratory Tests,Diagnoses and Laboratory Examinations,Diagnosis, Laboratory,Laboratory Diagnosis,Laboratory Examinations and Diagnoses,Laboratory Techniques, Clinical,Clinical Laboratory Technique,Diagnose, Clinical Laboratory,Laboratory Diagnoses,Laboratory Technique, Clinical,Laboratory Test, Clinical,Laboratory Testing, Clinical,Technique, Clinical Laboratory,Test, Clinical Laboratory,Testing, Clinical Laboratory
D064790 Clinical Laboratory Services Organized services provided by MEDICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL for the purpose of carrying out CLINICAL LABORATORY TECHNIQUES used for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. Laboratory Services, Clinical,Clinical Laboratory Service,Laboratory Service, Clinical,Service, Clinical Laboratory,Services, Clinical Laboratory

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