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Clostridium difficile is a Gram-positive spore-forming bacteria that is a normal component of the colon flora in humans. It can cause antibiotic-associated diarrhea (ADD) when competing bacteria in the gut flora have been killed by antibiotic treatment. Pseudomembranous enterocolitis can follow ADD, creating generalized inflammation of the colon.
An 18-member and a 4-member community consisting of commensal bacterial strains protected mice against C. difficile infection. The benefit of the 4-member community is mediated by secreted product(s) and not only by the bacteria, by proteolyzing clostridial toxins.
Ferrosome organelles produced by Clostridioides difficile are required to support colonization of the inflamed gut, highlighting the potential of targeting ferrosome formation as an antimicrobial strategy against this important pathogen.
Whole-genome sequencing of Clostridioides difficile from a densely sampled intensive care unit (ICU) population showed that many of these patients harbor toxigenic C. difficile. This carriage did not lead to high levels of cross-transmission but was associated with a greatly increased risk of developing clinically overt C. difficile infection.
Two studies describe how a commensal can either protect against or promote colitis, and a third study shows how colitis can affect the disease severity of a subsequent infection.
