Testing for Clostridium Difficile: A Perspective Approach

Abstract

Clostridium difficile Infection (CDI) presents a significant threat to the health and well-being of those who acquire this disease globally. Active infection with a toxigenic strain presents with symptoms ranging from mild illness to severe fulminant disease. The incidence and severity of illness have significantly increased since the emergence of a hypervirulent toxigenic strain of C difficile discovered in Canada and the United States at the turn of the century. With its spread and high level of communicability, the healthcare industry is faced with many challenges in the attempt to minimize and prevent healthcare-associated CDI.