Risk factors for Clostridium difficile infection in the community: a case-control study in patients in general practice, Denmark 2009-2011

To identify risk factors for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in Danish patients consulting general practice with gastrointestinal symptoms, a prospective matched case-control study was performed; cases (N=259) had positive cultures for toxigenic C. difficile and controls (N=455) negative cultures. Data were analysed by conditional logistic regression. In patients aged 2 years (138 cases), hospitalization [odds ratio (OR) 84, 95% confidence interval (CI) 31-23], consumption of beef (OR 55, 95% CI 20-15), phenoxymethylpenicillin (OR 15, 95% CI 27-82), dicloxacillin (OR 27, 95% CI 36-211), and extended spectrum penicillins (OR 92, 95% CI 19-45) were associated with CDI. In patients aged <2 years none of these were associated with CDI, but in a subgroup analysis contact with animals was associated with CDI (OR 81, 95% CI 10-64). This study emphasizes narrow-spectrum penicillins, and suggests beef consumption, as risk factors for CDI in adults, and indicates a different epidemiology of CDI in infants

The incidence and clinical symptomatology of Clostridium difficile infections in a community setting in a cohort of Danish patients attending general practice

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is gradually being recognised as a cause of morbidity in the community. We investigated the incidence and clinical characteristics of CDI in a community setting and characterised the C. difficile strains by toxin gene profiling and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ribotyping. Patients included in the study had attended general practice, primarily because of diarrhoea; CDI patients (259 patients; 121 38 A degrees C, weight loss and sick leave. Data were analysed by logistic regression. CDI patients 15 days (59 % vs. 73 %) as the predominant symptoms. CDI patients a parts per thousand yen2 years old reported duration of diarrhoea > 15 days more often compared to non-CDI patients (73 % vs. 27 %, p < 0.0001). The annual incidence of CDI was 518 and 23/100,000 for patients < 2 and a parts per thousand yen2 years of age, respectively, and 46/100,000 in the subgroup of patients a parts per thousand yen60 years of age. CDI was characterised by stomach ache and persistent diarrhoea, often leading to weight loss. This emphasises the importance of diagnosing CDI not only in hospitalised patients, but also in individuals a parts per thousand yen2 years of age attending general practice because of gastrointestinal symptoms, especially in the elderly, where the incidence of CDI is high

Dissemination and Characteristics of a Novel Plasmid-Encoded Carbapenem-Hydrolyzing Class D β-Lactamase, OXA-436, Found in Isolates from Four Patients Involving Six Different Hospitals in Denmark.

The diversity of OXA-48-like carbapenemases are continually expanding. In this study, we describe the dissemination and characteristics of a novel class D carbapenemase (CHDL) named OXA-436. In total, six OXA-436-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates including Enterobacter asburiae (n=3), Citrobacter freundii (n=2) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=1) were identified in four patients in the period between September 2013 and April 2015. One patient carried all three species of OXA-436-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Epidemiological investigation revealed extensive patient transfer between hospitals and the involvement of six hospitals altogether. The amino acid sequence of OXA-436 showed 90.4-92.8% identity to other acquired OXA-48-like variants. Expression of OXA-436 in Escherichia coli and kinetic analysis of purified OXA-436 revealed an activity profile similar to OXA-48 and OXA-181 with activity against penicillins including temocillin, limited or no activity against extended-spectrum cephalosporins and activity against carbapenems. The blaOXA-436 gene was located on a conjugative ~314 kb IncHI2/IncHI2A plasmid belonging to pMLST ST1, in a sequence region surrounded by chromosomal genes previously identified adjacent to blaOXA-genes in Shewanella spp. In conclusion, OXA-436 is a novel CHDL with similar functional properties as OXA-48-like CHDLs. The described geographical spread among different Enterobacteriaceae and plasmid location of blaOXA-436 illustrates its potential of further dissemination