Human infection with Cryptosporidium species has been increasingly noted in the past decade. We conducted a broad-based longitudinal review in a community setting and found that a Cryptosporidium species was detected in one-third of the specimens screened over a 5-year period. Thirty-six patients were identified, comprising three distinct clinical groups: persons with human immunodeficiency vir...

BACKGROUND Management of fecal incontinence is a priority in acute and critical care to reduce risk of perineal dermatitis and transmission of nosocomial infections. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety of the Flexi-Seal Fecal Management System in hospitalized patients with diarrhea and incontinence. METHODS A prospective, single-arm clinical study with 42 patients from 7 hospitals in the Unite...

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the most important cause of nosocomial diarrhea. Broad-spectrum antimicrobials have profound detrimental effects on the structure and diversity of the indigenous intestinal microbiota. These alterations often impair colonization resistance, allowing the establishment and proliferation of C. difficile in the gut. Studies involving animal models have begun...

Anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) is highly effective in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); however, it is associated with an increased risk of infections, particularly in older adults. We reviewed 349 patients with IBD, who were observed over a 12-month period, 74 of whom had received anti-TNF therapy (71 patients were aged <60 years and 3 were aged ≥60 years). All the 3 older patients deve...

Clostridium difficile-associated disease continues to be one of the leading health concerns worldwide. C. difficile is considered as a causative agent of nosocomial diarrhea that causes serious infection, which may result in death. The incidences of C. difficile infection (CDI) in developed countries have become increasingly high which may be attributed to the emergence of newer epidemic strain...

Clostridium difficile is the most frequent cause of nosocomial diarrhea worldwide, and recent reports suggested the emergence of a hypervirulent strain in North America and Europe. In this study, we applied comparative phylogenomics (whole-genome comparisons using DNA microarrays combined with Bayesian phylogenies) to model the phylogeny of C. difficile, including 75 diverse isolates comprising...

The need for a rotavirus vaccine in India is based on the enormous burden associated with the >100,000 deaths due to rotavirus diarrhea that occur annually among Indian children. Two rotavirus strains identified during nosocomial outbreaks of rotavirus infection in New Delhi and Bangalore, India, more than a decade ago are being developed as live oral vaccines. Infected newborns had no symptoms...

PURPOSE Clostridium difficile colitis (CDC) is a nosocomial infection. We attempted to discover the risk factors for the development of CDC in patients admitted to our surgical ward. METHODS We conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients admitted to our surgical ward between January 2010 and July 2011. CDC was confirmed when toxin A/B or toxin B polymerase chain reaction was detect...

BACKGROUND Plesiomonas shigelloides can cause gastroenteritis and extra-intestinal diseases in humans. However, the prevalence of P. shigelloides infections has not been investigated in China. METHODS Consecutive fecal specimens from outpatients with acute diarrhea and non-diarrheal patients at nine sentinel hospitals in southeast China were collected from March 2010 to May 2012. Bacterial pa...

BACKGROUND Clostridium difficile infection is considered the most common cause of nosocomial infectious diarrhea among adults in the developed world. It is responsible for virtually all cases of pseudomembranous colitis. The Tox A/B enzyme immunoassay (EIA) is the most widely used test for the detection of C. difficile toxins A and B. However, it is associated with poor sensitivity and an unacc...