Antimicrobial resistance in Clostridioides difficile

Antimicrobial resistance of Clostridioides difficile in veterinary medicine around the world: A scoping review of minimum inhibitory concentrations

Objective

To provide a comprehensive characterization of Clostridioides difficile antimicrobial resistance (AMR) data in veterinary medicine based on the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of all antimicrobial agents tested in relation to the techniques used.

Methods

A systematic scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and its associated checklist. The objective was to provide a synthesis of the evidence in a summarized and analyzed format.To this end, three scientific databases were consulted: Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science, up until December 2021. Subsequently, all identified literature was subjected to screening and classification in accordance with the established study criteria, with the objective of subsequent evaluation.

Study selection and data extraction

A comprehensive analysis was conducted on studies regarding Clostridioides difficile antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in veterinary medicine across various animal species and related sources. The analysis included studies that presented data on antimicrobial susceptibility testing using the E-test, agar dilution, or broth microdilution techniques. The extracted data included minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values and a comprehensive characterization analysis.

Results

A total of 1582 studies were identified in scientific databases, of which only 80 were subjected to analysis. The research on Clostridioides difficile antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in veterinary medicine is most prolific in Europe and North America. The majority of isolates originate from production animals (55%) and pets (15%), with pigs, horses, and cattle being the most commonly studied species. The tested agents' minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and resulting putative antimicrobial resistance profiles exhibited considerable diversity across animal species and sources of isolation. Additionally, AMR characterization has been conducted at the gene and genomic level in animal strains. The E-test was the most frequently utilized method for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Furthermore, the breakpoints for interpreting the MICs were found to be highly heterogeneous and frequently observed regardless of the geographical origin of the publication.

Conclusions

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing techniques and results were found to be diverse and heterogeneous. There is no evidence of an exclusive antimicrobial resistance pattern in any animal species. Despite the phenotypic and genomic data collected over the years, further interdisciplinary studies are necessary. Our findings underscore the necessity for international collaboration to establish uniform standards for C. difficile antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) methods and reporting. Such collaboration would facilitate a "One Health" approach to surveillance and control, which is of paramount importance.

The complete catalog of antimicrobial resistance secondary active transporters in Clostridioides difficile: evolution and drug resistance perspective

Secondary active transporters shuttle substrates across eukaryotic and prokaryotic membranes, utilizing different electrochemical gradients. They are recognized as one of the antimicrobial efflux pumps among pathogens. While primary active transporters within the genome of C. difficile 630 have been completely cataloged, the systematical study of secondary active transporters remains incomplete. Here, we not only identify secondary active transporters but also disclose their evolution and role in drug resistance in C. difficile 630. Our analysis reveals that C. difficile 630 carries 147 secondary active transporters belonging to 27 (super)families. Notably, 50 (34%) of them potentially contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR-secondary active transporters are structurally classified into five (super)families: the p-aminobenzoyl-glutamate transporter (AbgT), drug/metabolite transporter (DMT) superfamily, major facilitator (MFS) superfamily, multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) family, and resistance-nodulation-division (RND) family. Surprisingly, complete RND genes found in C. difficile 630 are likely an evolutionary leftover from the common ancestor with the diderm. Through protein structure comparisons, we have potentially identified six novel AMR-secondary active transporters from DMT, MATE, and MFS (super)families. Pangenome analysis revealed that half of the AMR-secondary transporters are accessory genes, which indicates an important role in adaptive AMR function rather than innate physiological homeostasis. Gene expression profile firmly supports their ability to respond to a wide spectrum of antibiotics. Our findings highlight the evolution of AMR-secondary active transporters and their integral role in antibiotic responses. This marks AMR-secondary active transporters as interesting therapeutic targets to synergize with other antibiotic activity.

Is there a role for intestinal sporobiota in the antimicrobial resistance crisis?

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a complex issue requiring specific, multi-sectoral measures to slow its spread. When people are exposed to antimicrobial agents, it can cause resistant bacteria to increase. This means that the use, misuse, and excessive use of antimicrobial agents exert selective pressure on bacteria, which can lead to the development of "silent" reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance genes. These genes can later be mobilized into pathogenic bacteria and contribute to the spread of AMR. Many socioeconomic and environmental factors influence the transmission and dissemination of resistance genes, such as the quality of healthcare systems, water sanitation, hygiene infrastructure, and pollution. The sporobiota is an essential part of the gut microbiota that plays a role in maintaining gut homeostasis. However, because spores are highly transmissible and can spread easily, they can be a vector for AMR. The sporobiota resistome, particularly the mobile resistome, is important for tracking, managing, and limiting the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes among pathogenic and commensal bacterial species.

Whole-genome sequencing of toxigenic Clostridioides difficile reveals multidrug resistance and virulence genes in strains of environmental and animal origin

BACKGROUND

Clostridioides difficile has been recognized as an emerging pathogen in both humans and animals. In this context, antimicrobial resistance plays a major role in driving the spread of this disease, often leading to therapeutic failure. Moreover, recent increases in community-acquired C. difficile infections have led to greater numbers of investigations into the animal origin of the disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic similarities between 23 environmental and animal isolates by using whole-genome sequencing and to determine antimicrobial resistance and virulence factor genes in toxigenic C. difficile strains to provide important data for the development of diagnostic methods or treatment guidelines.

RESULTS

The most common sequence type was ST11 (87%), followed by ST2 (9%) and ST19 (4%). In addition, 86.95% of the strains exhibited multidrug resistance, with antimicrobial resistance to mainly aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, tetracycline and B-lactams; nevertheless, one strain also carried other resistance genes that conferred resistance to lincosamide, macrolides, streptogramin a, streptogramin b, pleuromutilin, oxazolidinone and amphenicol. In addition, a wide range of virulence factor genes, such as those encoding adherence factors, exoenzymes and toxins, were found. However, we observed variations between toxinotypes, ribotypes and sequence types.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study demonstrated significant genetic similarity between ST11 strains isolated from environmental sampling and from animal origin; these strains may represent a reservoir for community-acquired C. difficile infection, which is becoming a growing public health threat due to the development of multridug resistant (MDR) bacteria and the number of virulence factors detected.

Antimicrobial susceptibilities, resistance mechanisms and molecular characteristics of toxigenic Clostridioides difficile isolates in a large teaching hospital in Chongqing, China

OBJECTIVES

Clostridioides difficile ranks among the primary sources of healthcare-related infections and diarrhoea in numerous nations. We evaluated the drug susceptibility and resistance mechanisms of C. difficile isolates from a hospital in Chongqing, China, and identified resistance rates and resistance mechanisms that differed from previous findings.

METHODS

The toxin genes and drug resistance genes of clinical strains were detected using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), and these strains were subjected to Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST). The agar dilution technique was employed for assessing susceptibility of antibiotics. Clinical data collection was completed through a review of electronic medical records.

RESULTS

A total of 67 strains of toxin-producing C. difficile were detected. All C. difficile isolates demonstrated susceptibility to both metronidazole and vancomycin. However, resistance was observed in 8.95%, 16.42%, 56.72%, 56.72%, 31.34% and 5.97% of the isolates for tigecycline, tetracycline, clindamycin, erythromycin, moxifloxacin and rifampin, respectively. Among the strains with toxin genotypes A + B + CDT - and belonging to the ST3, six strains exhibited reduced susceptibility to tigecycline (MIC=0.5mg/L) and tetracycline (MIC=8mg/L). The tetA(P) and tetB(P) genes were present in these six strains, but were absent in tetracycline-resistant strains. Resistance genes (ermB, tetM, tetA(P) and tetB(P)) and mutations (in gyrA, gyrB, and rpoB) were identified in resistant strains.

CONCLUSIONS

In contrast to prior studies, we found higher proportions of ST3 isolates with decreased tigecycline sensitivity, sharing similar resistance patterns and resistance genes. In the resistance process of tigecycline and tetracycline, the tetA(P) and tetB(P) genes may play a weak role.

Fecal shedding of Clostridioides difficile in calves in Sao Paulo state, Brazil

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the fecal shedding of C. difficile in calves on farms in Sao Paulo State, Brazil.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fecal samples (n = 300) were collected from diarrheic (n = 78) and nondiarrheic (n = 222) calves less than 60 days of age from 20 farms. Fecal samples were inoculated into enrichment broth supplemented with taurocholate and cultured under anaerobic conditions. Colonies suspected to be C. difficile were harvested for DNA extraction and then multiplex PCR for the detection of genes encoding toxins A and B and binary toxins. All toxigenic isolates were ribotyped and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility, and five selected strains were subjected to whole-genome sequencing to determine their sequence type.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

C. difficile was isolated from 29.3 % (88/300) of the samples. All toxigenic isolates (17/88, 19.3 %) were classified as ribotypes RT046 (13/17-79.47 %, A+B+ CDT-) and RT126 (4/17 = 20.53 %, A+B+ CDT+). The sequenced strains from RT046 were classified as ST35 (Clade 1), while those from RT126 were classified as ST11 (Clade 5). No associations between the epidemiological factors in any of the groups and C. difficile isolation were observed. Most of the toxigenic isolates (16/17 = 94.41 %) were classified as multidrug-resistant. Calves can be an important source of toxigenic C. difficile strains, including multidrug-resistant isolates from ribotypes commonly observed in humans.

Structural and Functional Insights into the Delivery Systems of Bacillus and Clostridial Binary Toxins

Pathogenic Bacillus and clostridial (i.e., Clostridium and Clostridioides) bacteria express a diverse repertoire of effector proteins to promote disease. This includes production of binary toxins, which enter host epithelial cells and seriously damage the intestinal tracts of insects, animals, and humans. In particular, binary toxins form an AB-type complex composed of a catalytic subunit that is toxic (A) and an oligomeric cell-binding and delivery subunit (B), where upon delivery of A into the cytoplasm of the host cell it catalytically ADP-ribosylates actin and rapidly induces host cell death. In this review, binary toxins expressed by Bacillus thuringiensis, Clostridioides difficile, and Clostridium perfringens will be discussed, with particular focus placed upon the structural elucidations of their respective B subunits and how these findings help to deconvolute how toxic enzyme delivery into target host cells is achieved by these deadly bacteria.

Genomic study of European Clostridioides difficile ribotype 002/sequence type 8

Clostridioides difficile has significant clinical importance as a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections, with symptoms ranging from mild diarrhoea to severe colitis, and possible life-threatening complications. C. difficile ribotype (RT) 002, mainly associated with MLST sequence type (ST) 8, is one of the most common RTs found in humans. This study aimed at investigating the genetic characteristics of 537 C. difficile genomes of ST8/RT002. To this end, we sequenced 298 C. difficile strains representing a new European genome collection, with strains from Germany, Denmark, France and Portugal. These sequences were analysed against a global dataset consisting of 1,437 ST8 genomes available through Enterobase. Our results showed close genetic relatedness among the studied ST8 genomes, a diverse array of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes and the presence of multiple mobile elements. Notably, the pangenome analysis revealed an open genomic structure. ST8 shows relatively low overall variation. Thus, clonal isolates were found across different One Health sectors (humans, animals, environment and food), time periods, and geographical locations, suggesting the lineage's stability and a universal environmental source. Importantly, this stability did not hinder the acquisition of AMR genes, emphasizing the adaptability of this bacterium to different selective pressures. Although only 2.4 % (41/1,735) of the studied genomes originated from non-human sources, such as animals, food, or the environment, we identified 9 cross-sectoral core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) clusters. Our study highlights the importance of ST8 as a prominent lineage of C. difficile with critical implications in the context of One Health. In addition, these findings strongly support the need for continued surveillance and investigation of non-human samples to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the epidemiology of C. difficile.

Molecular Characterization and Potential Host-switching of Swine Farm associated Clostridioides difficile ST11

OBJECTIVE

To conduct molecular prevalence and genetic polymorphism analysis of 24 Swine Farm associated C. difficile ST11 strains, in addition to other representative sequenced ST strains.

METHODS

The collected C. difficile strains underwent whole genome sequencing and bioinformatic analysis using the illumina NovaSeq platform, SPAdes, Prokka, MOB-suite, and FastTree. Virulence and antibiotic resistance genes were identified through NCBI Pathogen Database. Cytotoxicity tests were conducted on HT-29 cells and Vero cells to verify the function of toxin A and toxin B.

RESULTS

The most prevalent resistance genes in ST11 were found to be against β-lactamases, aminoglycosides, and tetracycline. A C. difficile isolate (strain 27) with tcdA deletion and high antibiotic resistance genes was far apart from other swine farm associated ST11 isolates in the phylogenetic branch. The remarkable genetic similarity between animal and human C. difficile strains suggests potential transmission of ST11 strains between animals and humans. The plasmid replicon sequences repUS43 were identified in all ST11 strains except one variant (strain 27), and 91.67% (22/24) of these were assessed by MOB-typer as having mobilizable plasmids.

CONCLUSION

Swine farm associated C. difficile ST11 carried fewer virulence genes than ST11 strains collected from NCBI database. It is critical to monitor the evolution of C. difficile strains to understand their changing characteristics, host-switching, and develop effective control and prevention strategies.

Phenylthiazoles with potent & optimum selectivity toward Clostridium difficile

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is one of the most threatening bacteria globally, causing high mortality and morbidity in humans and animals, and is considered a public health threat that requires urgent and aggressive action. Interruption of the human gut microbiome and the development of antibiotic resistance urgently require development and synthesis of effective alternative antibiotics with minimal effects on the normal gut microbial flora. In this study, cyclization of the aminoguanidine head to the thiazole nucleus while maintaining its other pharmacophoric features leads to selective targeting of Clostridioides difficile as shown in the graphical abstract. The most promising compound, 5, was significantly more efficient than vancomycin and metronidazole against six strains of C. diff with MIC values as low as 0.030 μg mL-1. Additionally, compound 5 was superior to vancomycin and metronidazole, showing no inhibition toward nine tested strains of the normal human gut microbiota (>64 μg mL-1). The high safety profile of compound 5 was also observed with two cell lines HRT-18 and Vero cells.

Genetic determinants of resistance to antimicrobial therapeutics are rare in publicly available Clostridioides difficile genome sequences

OBJECTIVES

To determine the frequencies and clonal distributions of putative genetic determinants of resistance to antimicrobials applied for treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), as documented in the genomic record.

METHODS

We scanned 26 557 C. difficile genome sequences publicly available from the EnteroBase platform for plasmids, point mutations and gene truncations previously reported to reduce susceptibility to vancomycin, fidaxomicin or metronidazole, respectively. We measured the antimicrobial susceptibility of 143 selected C. difficile isolates.

RESULTS

The frequency of mutations causing reduced susceptibility to vancomycin and metronidazole, respectively, increased strongly after 2000, peaking at up to 52% of all sequenced C. difficile genomes. However, both mutations declined sharply more recently, reflecting major changes in CDI epidemiology. We detected mutations associated with fidaxomicin resistance in several major genotypes, but found no evidence of international spread of resistant clones. The pCD-METRO plasmid, conferring metronidazole resistance, was detected in a single previously unreported C. difficile isolate, recovered from a hospital patient in Germany in 2008. The pX18-498 plasmid, putatively associated with decreased vancomycin susceptibility, was confined to related, recent isolates from the USA. Phenotype measurements confirmed that most of those genetic features were useful predictors of antibiotic susceptibility, even though ranges of MICs typically overlapped among isolates with and without specific mutations.

CONCLUSIONS

Genomic data suggested that resistance to therapeutic antimicrobial drugs is rare in C. difficile. Public antimicrobial resistance marker databases were not equipped to detect most of the genetic determinants relevant to antibiotic therapy of CDI.

Histidine kinase-mediated cross-regulation of the vancomycin-resistance operon in Clostridioides difficile

The dipeptide D-Ala-D-Ala is an essential component of peptidoglycan and the target of vancomycin. Most Clostridioides difficile strains possess the vanG operon responsible for the synthesis of D-Ala-D-Ser, which can replace D-Ala-D-Ala in peptidoglycan. The C. difficile vanG operon is regulated by a two-component system, VanRS, but is not induced sufficiently by vancomycin to confer resistance to this antibiotic. Surprisingly, in the absence of the VanS histidine kinase (HK), the vanG operon is still induced by vancomycin and also by another antibiotic, ramoplanin, in a VanR-dependent manner. This suggested the cross-regulation of VanR by another HK or kinases that are activated in the presence of certain lipid II-targeting antibiotics. We identified these HKs as CD35990 and CD22880. However, mutations in either or both HKs did not affect the regulation of the vanG operon in wild-type cells suggesting that intact VanS prevents the cross-activation of VanR by non-cognate HKs. Overproduction of VanR in the absence of VanS, CD35990, and CD22880 led to high expression of the vanG operon indicating that VanR can potentially utilize at least one more phosphate donor for its activation. Candidate targets of CD35990- and CD22880-mediated regulation in the presence of vancomycin or ramoplanin were identified by RNA-Seq.

Defining the phylogenetics and resistome of the major Clostridioides difficile ribotypes circulating in Australia

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) remains a significant public health threat globally. New interventions to treat CDI rely on an understanding of the evolution and epidemiology of circulating strains. Here we provide longitudinal genomic data on strain diversity, transmission dynamics and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of C. difficile ribotypes (RTs) 014/020 (n=169), 002 (n=77) and 056 (n=36), the three most prominent C. difficile strains causing CDI in Australia. Genome scrutiny showed that AMR was uncommon in these lineages, with resistance-conferring alleles present in only 15/169 RT014/020 strains (8.9 %), 1/36 RT056 strains (2.78 %) and none of 77 RT002 strains. Notably, ~90 % of strains were resistant to MLSB agents in vitro, but only ~5.9 % harboured known resistance alleles, highlighting an incongruence between AMR genotype and phenotype. Core genome analyses revealed all three RTs contained genetically heterogeneous strain populations with limited evidence of clonal transmission between CDI cases. The average number of pairwise core genome SNP (cgSNP) differences within each RT group ranged from 23.3 (RT056, ST34, n=36) to 115.6 (RT002, ST8, n=77) and 315.9 (RT014/020, STs 2, 13, 14, 49, n=169). Just 19 clonal groups (encompassing 40 isolates), defined as isolates differing by ≤2 cgSNPs, were identified across all three RTs (RT014/020, n=14; RT002, n=3; RT056, n=2). Of these clonal groups, 63 % (12/19) comprised isolates from the same Australian State and 37 % (7/19) comprised isolates from different States. The low number of plausible transmission events found for these major RTs (and previously documented populations in animal and environmental sources/reservoirs) points to widespread and persistent community sources of diverse C. difficile strains as opposed to ongoing nationwide healthcare outbreaks dominated by a single clone. Together, these data provide new insights into the evolution of major lineages causing CDI in Australia and highlight the urgent need for enhanced surveillance, and for public health interventions to move beyond the healthcare setting and into a One Health paradigm to effectively combat this complex pathogen.

The pH-responsive SmrR-SmrT system modulates C. difficile antimicrobial resistance, spore formation, and toxin production

Clostridioides difficile is an anaerobic gastrointestinal pathogen that spreads through the environment as dormant spores. To survive, replicate, and sporulate in the host intestine, C. difficile must adapt to a variety of conditions in its environment, including changes in pH, the availability of metabolites, host immune factors, and a diverse array of other species. Prior studies showed that changes in intestinal conditions, such as pH, can affect C. difficile toxin production, spore formation, and cell survival. However, little is understood about the specific genes and pathways that facilitate environmental adaptation and lead to changes in C. difficile cell outcomes. In this study, we investigated two genes, CD2505 and CD2506, that are differentially regulated by pH to determine if they impact C. difficile growth and sporulation. Using deletion mutants, we examined the effects of both genes (herein smrR and smrT) on sporulation frequency, toxin production, and antimicrobial resistance. We determined that SmrR is a repressor of smrRT that responds to pH and suppresses sporulation and toxin production through regulation of the SmrT transporter. Further, we showed that SmrT confers resistance to erythromycin and lincomycin, establishing a connection between the regulation of sporulation and antimicrobial resistance.IMPORTANCEClostridioides difficile is a mammalian pathogen that colonizes the large intestine and produces toxins that lead to severe diarrheal disease. C. difficile is a major threat to public health due to its intrinsic resistance to antimicrobials and its ability to form dormant spores that are easily spread from host to host. In this study, we examined the contribution of two genes, smrR and smrT, on sporulation, toxin production, and antimicrobial resistance. Our results indicate that SmrR represses smrT expression, while production of SmrT increases spore and toxin production, as well as resistance to antibiotics.

Advances in Therapeutic Strategies for the Management of Clostridioides difficile Infection

The infection caused by Clostridioides difficile represents one of the bacterial infections with the greatest increase in incidence among nosocomial infections in recent years. C. difficile is a Gram-positive bacterium able to produce toxins and spores. In some cases, infection results in severe diarrhoea and fulminant colitis, which cause prolonged hospitalisation and can be fatal, with repercussions also in terms of health economics. C. difficile is the most common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in the healthcare setting. The problem of bacterial forms that are increasingly resistant to common antibiotic treatments is also reflected in C. difficile infection (CDI). One of the causes of CDI is intestinal dysmicrobialism induced by prolonged antibiotic therapy. Moreover, in recent years, the emergence of increasingly virulent strains resistant to antibiotic treatment has made the picture even more complex. Evidence on preventive treatments to avoid recurrence is unclear. Current guidelines indicate the following antibiotics for the treatment of CDI: metronidazole, vancomycin, and fidaxomycin. This short narrative review provides an overview of CDI, antibiotic resistance, and emerging treatments.

Defined microbial communities and their soluble products protect mice from Clostridioides difficile infection

Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated infectious diarrhea. The development of C.difficile infection is tied to perturbations of the bacterial community in the gastrointestinal tract, called the gastrointestinal microbiota. Repairing the gastrointestinal microbiota by introducing lab-designed bacterial communities, or defined microbial communities, has recently shown promise as therapeutics against C.difficile infection, however, the mechanisms of action of defined microbial communities remain unclear. Using an antibiotic- C.difficile mouse model, we report the ability of an 18-member community and a refined 4-member community to protect mice from two ribotypes of C.difficile (CD027, CD078; p < 0.05). Furthermore, bacteria-free supernatant delivered orally to mice from the 4-member community proteolyzed C.difficile toxins in vitro and protected mice from C.difficile infection in vivo (p < 0.05). This study demonstrates that bacteria-free supernatant is sufficient to protect mice from C.difficile; and could be further explored as a therapeutic strategy against C.difficile infection.

Clostridioides difficile Infection: Diagnosis and Treatment Challenges

Clostridioides difficile is the most important cause of healthcare-associated diarrhea in the United States. The high incidence and recurrence rates of C. difficile infection (CDI), associated with high morbidity and mortality, pose a public health challenge. Although antibiotics targeting C. difficile bacteria are the first treatment choice, antibiotics also disrupt the indigenous gut flora and, therefore, create an environment that is favorable for recurrent CDI. The challenge of treating CDI is further exacerbated by the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains of C. difficile, placing it among the top five most urgent antibiotic resistance threats in the USA. The evolution of antibiotic resistance in C. difficile involves the acquisition of new resistance mechanisms, which can be shared among various bacterial species and different C. difficile strains within clinical and community settings. This review provides a summary of commonly used diagnostic tests and antibiotic treatment strategies for CDI. In addition, it discusses antibiotic treatment and its resistance mechanisms. This review aims to enhance our current understanding and pinpoint knowledge gaps in antimicrobial resistance mechanisms in C. difficile, with an emphasis on CDI therapies.

Fifty years devoted to anaerobes: historical, lessons, and highlights

Renew interest and enthusiasm for anaerobes stem from both technological improvements (culture media, production of an adequate anaerobic atmosphere, identification methods) and greater awareness on the part of clinicians. Anaerobic infections were historically treated empirically, targeting the species known to be involved in each type of infection. Prevotella, fusobacteria, and Gram-positive cocci (GPAC) were considered responsible for infections above the diaphragm whereas for intra-abdominal infections, Bacteroides of the fragilis group (BFG), GPAC and clostridia were predominantly implicated. The antibiotic susceptibility of anaerobes was only taken into consideration by the clinician in the event of treatment failure or when faced with infections by multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR). The evolution of antibiotic resistance together with clinical failures due to the absence of detection of hetero-resistant clones has resulted in a greater need for accessible antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) and disc diffusion method. Improved isolation and identification of anaerobes, along with the availability of accessible and robust methods for performing AST, will ensure that treatment, whether empirical or guided by an antibiogram, will lead to better outcomes for anaerobic infections.

Antibiotic Resistances of Clostridioides difficile

The rapid evolution of antibiotic resistance in Clostridioides difficile and the consequent effects on prevention and treatment of C. difficile infections (CDIs) are a matter of concern for public health. Antibiotic resistance plays an important role in driving C. difficile epidemiology. Emergence of new types is often associated with the emergence of new resistances, and most of the epidemic C. difficile clinical isolates is currently resistant to multiple antibiotics. In particular, it is to worth to note the recent identification of strains with reduced susceptibility to the first-line antibiotics for CDI treatment and/or for relapsing infections. Antibiotic resistance in C. difficile has a multifactorial nature. Acquisition of genetic elements and alterations of the antibiotic target sites, as well as other factors, such as variations in the metabolic pathways or biofilm production, contribute to the survival of this pathogen in the presence of antibiotics. Different transfer mechanisms facilitate the spread of mobile elements among C. difficile strains and between C. difficile and other species. Furthermore, data indicate that both genetic elements and alterations in the antibiotic targets can be maintained in C. difficile regardless of the burden imposed on fitness, and therefore resistances may persist in C. difficile population in absence of antibiotic selective pressure.

The pH-responsive SmrR-SmrT system modulates C. difficile antimicrobial resistance, spore formation, and toxin production

Clostridioides difficile is an anaerobic gastrointestinal pathogen that spreads through the environment as dormant spores. To survive, replicate, and sporulate in the host intestine, C. difficile must adapt to a variety of conditions in its environment, including changes in pH, the availability of metabolites, host immune factors, and a diverse array of other species. Prior studies showed that changes in intestinal conditions, such as pH, can affect C. difficile toxin production, spore formation, and cell survival. However, little is understood about the specific genes and pathways that facilitate environmental adaptation and lead to changes in C. difficile cell outcomes. In this study, we investigated two genes, CD2505 and CD2506, that are differentially regulated by pH to determine if they impact C. difficile growth and sporulation. Using deletion mutants, we examined the effects of both genes (herein smrR and smrT ) on sporulation frequency, toxin production, and antimicrobial resistance. We determined that SmrR is a repressor of smrRT that responds to pH and suppresses sporulation and toxin production through regulation of the SmrT transporter. Further, we showed that SmrT confers resistance to erythromycin and lincomycin, establishing a connection between the regulation of sporulation and antimicrobial resistance.

IMPORTANCE

C. difficile is a mammalian pathogen that colonizes the large intestine and produces toxins that lead to severe diarrheal disease. C. difficile is a major threat to public health due to its intrinsic resistance to antimicrobials and its ability to form dormant spores that are easily spread from host to host. In this study, we examined the contribution of two genes, smrR and smrT on sporulation, toxin production, and antimicrobial resistance. Our results indicate that SmrR represses smrT expression, while production of SmrT increases spore and toxin production, as well as resistance to antibiotics.

An epidemiological surveillance study (2021-2022): detection of a high diversity of Clostridioides difficile isolates in one tertiary hospital in Chongqing, Southwest China

BACKGROUND

Clostridioides difficile is a bacterium that causes antibiotic-associated infectious diarrhea and pseudomembranous enterocolitis. The impact of C. difficile infection (CDI) in China has gained significant attention in recent years. However, little epidemiological data are available from Chongqing, a city located in Southwest China. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological pattern of CDI and explore the drug resistance of C. difficile isolates in Chongqing.

METHODS

A case-control study was conducted to investigate the clinical infection characteristics and susceptibility factors of C. difficile. The features of the C. difficile isolates were evaluated by testing for toxin genes and using multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). The susceptibility of strains to nine antibiotics was determined using agar dilution technique.

RESULTS

Out of 2084 diarrhea patients, 90 were tested positive for the isolation of toxigenic C. difficile strains, resulting in a CDI prevalence rate of 4.32%. Tetracycline, cephalosporins, hepatobiliary disease, and gastrointestinal disorders were identified as independent risk factors for CDI incidence. The 90 strains were classified into 21 sequence types (ST), with ST3 being the most frequent (n = 25, 27.78%), followed by ST2 (n = 10, 11.11%) and ST37 (n = 9, 10%). Three different toxin types were identified: 69 (76.67%) were A+B+CDT-, 12 (13.33%) were A-B+CDT-, and 9 (10%) were A+B+CDT+. Although substantial resistance to erythromycin (73.33%), moxifloxacin (62.22%), and clindamycin (82.22%), none of the isolates exhibited resistance to vancomycin, tigecycline, or metronidazole. Furthermore, different toxin types displayed varying anti-microbial characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

The strains identified in Chongqing, Southwest China, exhibited high genetic diversity. Enhance full awareness of high-risk patients with HA-CDI infection, particularly those with gastrointestinal and hepatocellular diseases, and emphasize caution in the use of tetracycline and capecitabine. These findings suggest that a potential epidemic of CDI may occur in the future, emphasizing the need for timely monitoring.

Drug-microbiota interactions: an emerging priority for precision medicine

Individual variability in drug response (IVDR) can be a major cause of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and prolonged therapy, resulting in a substantial health and economic burden. Despite extensive research in pharmacogenomics regarding the impact of individual genetic background on pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD), genetic diversity explains only a limited proportion of IVDR. The role of gut microbiota, also known as the second genome, and its metabolites in modulating therapeutic outcomes in human diseases have been highlighted by recent studies. Consequently, the burgeoning field of pharmacomicrobiomics aims to explore the correlation between microbiota variation and IVDR or ADRs. This review presents an up-to-date overview of the intricate interactions between gut microbiota and classical therapeutic agents for human systemic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), endocrine diseases, and others. We summarise how microbiota, directly and indirectly, modify the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of drugs. Conversely, drugs can also modulate the composition and function of gut microbiota, leading to changes in microbial metabolism and immune response. We also discuss the practical challenges, strategies, and opportunities in this field, emphasizing the critical need to develop an innovative approach to multi-omics, integrate various data types, including human and microbiota genomic data, as well as translate lab data into clinical practice. To sum up, pharmacomicrobiomics represents a promising avenue to address IVDR and improve patient outcomes, and further research in this field is imperative to unlock its full potential for precision medicine.

Clostridioides difficile from Fecally Contaminated Environmental Sources: Resistance and Genetic Relatedness from a Molecular Epidemiological Perspective

Clostridioides difficile is the most important pathogen causing antimicrobial-associated diarrhea and has recently been recognized as a cause of community-associated C. difficile infection (CA-CDI). This study aimed to characterize virulence factors, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), ribotype (RT) distribution and genetic relationship of C. difficile isolates from diverse fecally contaminated environmental sources. C. difficile isolates were recovered from different environmental samples in Northern Germany. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was determined by E-test or disk diffusion method. Toxin genes (tcdA and tcdB), genes coding for binary toxins (cdtAB) and ribotyping were determined by PCR. Furthermore, 166 isolates were subjected to whole genome sequencing (WGS) for core genome multi-locus sequence typing (cgMLST) and extraction of AMR and virulence-encoding genes. Eighty-nine percent (148/166) of isolates were toxigenic, and 51% (76/148) were positive for cdtAB. Eighteen isolates (11%) were non-toxigenic. Thirty distinct RTs were identified. The most common RTs were RT127, RT126, RT001, RT078, and RT014. MLST identified 32 different sequence types (ST). The dominant STs were ST11, followed by ST2, ST3, and ST109. All isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and metronidazole and displayed a variable rate of resistance to moxifloxacin (14%), clarithromycin (26%) and rifampicin (2%). AMR genes, such as gyrA/B, blaCDD-1/2, aph(3')-llla-sat-4-ant(6)-la cassette, ermB, tet(M), tet(40), and tetA/B(P), conferring resistance toward fluoroquinolone, beta-lactam, aminoglycoside, macrolide and tetracycline antimicrobials, were found in 166, 137, 29, 32, 21, 72, 17, and 9 isolates, respectively. Eleven "hypervirulent" RT078 strains were detected, and several isolates belonged to RTs (i.e., RT127, RT126, RT023, RT017, RT001, RT014, RT020, and RT106) associated with CA-CDI, indicating possible transmission between humans and environmental sources pointing out to a zoonotic potential.

Membrane binding and pore formation is Ca 2+ -dependent for the Clostridioides difficile binary toxin

The C. difficile binary toxin (CDT) enters host cells via endosomal delivery like many other 'AB'-type binary toxins. In this study, the cell-binding component of CDT, termed CDTb, was found to bind and form pores in lipid bilayers upon depleting free Ca 2+ ion concentrations, and not by lowering pH, as found for other binary toxins (i.e., anthrax). Cryoelectron microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, surface plasmon resonance, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, CDT toxicity studies, and site directed mutagenesis show that dissociation of Ca 2+ from a single site in receptor binding domain 1 (RBD1) of CDTb is consistent with a molecular mechanism in which Ca 2+ dissociation from RBD1 induces a "trigger" via conformational exchange that enables CDTb to bind and form pores in endosomal membrane bilayers as free Ca 2+ concentrations decrease during CDT endosomal delivery.

Clostridioides difficile in Pigs and Dairy Cattle in Northern Italy: Prevalence, Characterization and Comparison between Animal and Human Strains

It has been observed that novel strains of Clostridioides difficile can rapidly emerge and move between animal and human hosts. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of C. difficile in pigs and dairy cattle in northern Italy and to characterize and compare C. difficile animal strains with those from patients from the same geographical area. The C. difficile strains were isolated from animals from farms and slaughterhouses (cross-sectional studies) and from neonatal animals with enteric disorders in routine diagnostic investigations (passive surveillance). Samples positive for C. difficile were found in 87% of the pig farms and in 40% of the cattle farms involved in the cross-sectional studies, with a 20% prevalence among suckling piglets and 6.7% prevalence in neonatal calves, with no significant difference between animals with and without diarrheal symptoms. The prevalence of C. difficile in older animal categories was significantly lower. This result suggests that young age is an important risk factor for C. difficile colonization. In cross-sectional studies at slaughterhouses, in both the heavy pigs and dairy cows examined, only 2% of the intestinal content samples were positive for C. difficile and no contamination was found on the surface of the carcasses. Considering passive surveillance, the prevalence rates of positive samples were 29% in piglets and 1.4% in calves. Overall, 267 strains of animal origin and 97 from humans were collected. In total, 39 ribotypes (RTs) were identified, with RT 078 and RT 018 being predominant among animals and humans, respectively. Several RTs overlapped between animals and patients. In particular, RT 569 was identified as an emergent type in our country. Resistance to erythromycin and moxifloxacin was widely diffused among C. difficile strains, regardless of origin. This study supports C. difficile as a pathogen of one-health importance and highlights the need for a collaborative approach between physicians and veterinarians to control and prevent infections that are able to cross species and geographical barriers.

Clostridioides difficile infections were predominantly driven by fluoroquinolone-resistant Clostridioides difficile ribotypes 176 and 001 in Slovakia in 2018-2019

AIM

To investigate the epidemiology of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in Slovakian hospitals after the emergence of ribotype 176 (027-like) in 2016.

METHODS

Between 2018 and 2019, European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention CDI surveillance protocol v2.3 was applied to 14 hospitals, with additional data collected on recent antimicrobial use and the characterization of C. difficile isolates.

RESULTS

The mean hospital incidence of CDI was 4.1 cases per 10,000 patient bed-days. One hundred and five (27.6%) in-hospital deaths were reported among the 381 cases. Antimicrobial treatment within the previous 4 weeks was recorded in 90.5% (333/368) of cases. Ribotype (RT)176 was detected in 50% (n=185/370, 14 hospitals) and RT001 was detected in 34.6% (n=128/370,13/14 hospitals) of cases with RT data. Overall, 86% (n=318/370) of isolates were resistant to moxifloxacin by Thr82Ile in GyrA (99.7%). Multi-locus variable tandem repeat analysis showed clonal relatedness of predominant RTs within and between hospitals. Seven of 14 sequenced RT176 isolates and five of 13 RT001 isolates showed between zero and three allelic differences by whole-genome multi-locus sequence typing. The majority of sequenced isolates (24/27) carried the erm(B) gene and 16/27 also carried the aac(6')-aph(2'') gene with the corresponding antimicrobial susceptibility phenotypes. Nine RT176 strains carried the cfr(E)gene and one RT001 strain carried the cfr(C) gene, but without linezolid resistance.

CONCLUSIONS

The newly-predominant RT176 and endemic RT001 are driving the epidemiology of CDI in Slovakia. In addition to fluoroquinolones, the use of macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B antibiotics can represent another driving force for the spread of these epidemic lineages. In C. difficile, linezolid resistance should be confirmed phenotypically in strains with detected cfr gene(s).

A local-scale One Health genomic surveillance of Clostridioides difficile demonstrates highly related strains from humans, canines, and the environment

Although infections caused by Clostridioides difficile have historically been attributed to hospital acquisition, growing evidence supports the role of community acquisition in C. difficile infection (CDI). Symptoms of CDI can range from mild, self-resolving diarrhoea to toxic megacolon, pseudomembranous colitis, and death. In this study, we sampled C. difficile from clinical, environmental, and canine reservoirs in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, to understand the distribution and transmission of the pathogen in a One Health framework; Flagstaff is a medium-sized, geographically isolated city with a single hospital system, making it an ideal site to characterize genomic overlap between sequenced C. difficile isolates across reservoirs. An analysis of 562 genomes from Flagstaff isolates identified 65 sequence types (STs), with eight STs being found across all three reservoirs and another nine found across two reservoirs. A screen of toxin genes in the pathogenicity locus identified nine STs where all isolates lost the toxin genes needed for CDI manifestation (tcdB, tcdA), demonstrating the widespread distribution of non-toxigenic C. difficile (NTCD) isolates in all three reservoirs; 15 NTCD genomes were sequenced from symptomatic, clinical samples, including two from mixed infections that contained both tcdB+ and tcdB- isolates. A comparative single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis of clinically derived isolates identified 78 genomes falling within clusters separated by ≤2 SNPs, indicating that ~19 % of clinical isolates are associated with potential healthcare-associated transmission clusters; only symptomatic cases were sampled in this study, and we did not sample asymptomatic transmission. Using this same SNP threshold, we identified genomic overlap between canine and soil isolates, as well as putative transmission between environmental and human reservoirs. The core genome of isolates sequenced in this study plus a representative set of public C. difficile genomes (n=136), was 2690 coding region sequences, which constitutes ~70 % of an individual C. difficile genome; this number is significantly higher than has been published in some other studies, suggesting that genome data quality is important in understanding the minimal number of genes needed by C. difficile. This study demonstrates the close genomic overlap among isolates sampled across reservoirs, which was facilitated by maximizing the genomic search space used for comprehensive identification of potential transmission events. Understanding the distribution of toxigenic and non-toxigenic C. difficile across reservoirs has implications for surveillance sampling strategies, characterizing routes of infections, and implementing mitigation measures to limit human infection.

A network of small RNAs regulates sporulation initiation in Clostridioides difficile

The obligate anaerobic, enteric pathogen Clostridioides difficile persists in the intestinal tract by forming antibiotic-resistant endospores that contribute to relapsing and recurrent infections. Despite the importance of sporulation for C. difficile pathogenesis, environmental cues and molecular mechanisms that regulate sporulation initiation remain ill-defined. Here, by using RIL-seq to globally capture the Hfq-dependent RNA-RNA interactome, we discovered a network of small RNAs that bind to mRNAs encoding sporulation-related genes. We show that two of these small RNAs, SpoX and SpoY, regulate translation of the master regulator of sporulation, Spo0A, in an opposing manner, which ultimately leads to altered sporulation rates. Infection of antibiotic-treated mice with SpoX and SpoY deletion mutants revealed a global effect on gut colonization and intestinal sporulation. Our work uncovers an elaborate RNA-RNA interactome controlling the physiology and virulence of C. difficile and identifies a complex post-transcriptional layer in the regulation of spore formation in this important human pathogen.

Personal Care Products as a Contributing Factor to Antimicrobial Resistance: Current State and Novel Approach to Investigation

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the world's industrialized nations' biggest issues. It has a significant influence on the ecosystem and negatively affects human health. The overuse of antibiotics in the healthcare and agri-food industries has historically been defined as a leading factor, although the use of antimicrobial-containing personal care products plays a significant role in the spread of AMR. Lotions, creams, shampoos, soaps, shower gels, toothpaste, fragrances, and other items are used for everyday grooming and hygiene. However, in addition to the primary ingredients, additives are included to help preserve the product by lowering its microbial load and provide disinfection properties. These same substances are released into the environment, escaping traditional wastewater treatment methods and remaining in ecosystems where they contact microbial communities and promote the spread of resistance. The study of antimicrobial compounds, which are often solely researched from a toxicological point of view, must be resumed considering the recent discoveries, to highlight their contribution to AMR. Parabens, triclocarban, and triclosan are among the most worrying chemicals. To investigate this issue, more effective models must be chosen. Among them, zebrafish is a crucial study system because it allows for the assessment of both the risks associated with exposure to these substances as well as environmental monitoring. Furthermore, artificial intelligence-based computer systems are useful in simplifying the handling of antibiotic resistance data and speeding up drug discovery processes.

Evaluation of disk diffusion method for testing the rifampicin, erythromycin, and tetracycline susceptibility of Clostridioides (prev. Clostridium) difficile

INTRODUCTION

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest threats to animal and public health. Clostridioides (prev. Clostridium) difficile is a major burden to healthcare and a relevant AMR gene reservoir. Despite the known importance of AMR in C. difficile epidemiology and treatment, antimicrobial susceptibility testing for this pathogen is still based on the determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) by the agar dilution method, which is technically demanding and labor-intensive. In this study, the disk diffusion method was used to evaluate the susceptibility of C. difficile to erythromycin, rifampicin, and tetracycline.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 155 isolates isolated between 2011 and 2022 from humans and animals in Brazil were simultaneously tested using the disk diffusion method and the epsilometer test (Etest) for these three antimicrobials on Brucella blood agar supplemented with vitamin K and hemin.

RESULTS

The results suggest that disk diffusion can be an interesting routine tool to identify erythromycin- and rifampicin-resistant C. difficile isolates (≥20 mm cut-off) and wild type (WT) strains (≥28 mm). However, the disk diffusion protocol tested in this study does not seem suitable for tetracycline because of the common misclassification of resistant strains.

Clostridioides difficile infection in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-current status

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease, leading to fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and also associated with increased cardiovascular disease mortality. The pathogenesis of NAFLD is not fully understood, although NAFLD is thought to be a hepatic form of metabolic syndrome. There is an increasing understanding of the role of microbiota disturbances in NAFLD pathogenesis, and as with many other conditions affecting the microbiota, NAFLD may be a novel risk factor for Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) colonization (CDC) and C. difficile infection (CDI). CDI is an emerging nosocomial disease, and community-acquired cases of infection are growing, probably due to an increase in CDC rates. The association of NAFLD with CDI has been shown in only 4 studies to date, three of which included less than 1000 patients, although the frequency of NAFLD in these studies was observed in almost 20% of the total patient cohort. These data revealed that NAFLD is a risk factor for CDI development and, moreover, is a risk factor for intestinal complications of CDI. More studies are needed to investigate this association and move forward CDC and CDI screening efforts for this group of patients.

Different CprABC amino acid sequences affect nisin A susceptibility in Clostridioides difficile isolates

Clinical isolates of Clostridioides difficile sometimes exhibit multidrug resistance and cause diarrhea after antibiotic administration. Metronidazole and vancomycin are often used as therapeutic agents, but resistance to these antibiotics has been found clinically. Therefore, the development of alternative antimicrobial agents is needed. Nisin A, produced by Lactococcus lactis, has been demonstrated to be effective against C. difficile infection. In this study, we evaluated the susceptibility of 11 C. difficile clinical isolates to nisin A and found that they could be divided into 2 groups: high and low susceptibility. Since CprABC and DltDABC, which are responsible for nisin A efflux and cell surface charge, respectively, have been reported to be related to nisin A susceptibility, we investigated the expression of cprA and dltA among the 11 strains. cprA expression in all strains was induced by nisin A, but dltA expression was not. The expression levels of both genes did not correlate with nisin A susceptibility in these clinical isolates. To evaluate cell surface charge, we performed a cytochrome C binding assay and found no relationship between charge and nisin A susceptibility. Then, we determined the whole genome sequence of each clinical isolate and carried out phylogenetic analysis. The 11 isolates separated into two major clusters, which were consistent with the differences in nisin A susceptibility. Furthermore, we found common differences in several amino acids in the sequences of CprA, CprB, and CprC between the two clusters. Therefore, we speculated that the different amino acid sequences of CprABC might be related to nisin A susceptibility. In addition, C. difficile strains could be divided in the same two groups based on susceptibility to epidermin and mutacin III, which are structurally similar to nisin A. These results suggest that genotypic variations in C. difficile strains confer different susceptibilities to bacteriocins.

Prevalence, Antimicrobial Resistance and Toxin-Encoding Genes of Clostridioides difficile from Environmental Sources Contaminated by Feces

Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is the most common pathogen causing antibiotic-associated intestinal diseases in humans and some animal species, but it can also be present in various environments outside hospitals. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the presence and the characteristics of toxin-encoding genes and antimicrobial resistance of C. difficile isolates from different environmental sources. C. difficile was found in 32 out of 81 samples (39.50%) after selective enrichment of spore-forming bacteria and in 45 samples (55.56%) using a TaqMan-based qPCR assay. A total of 169 C. difficile isolates were recovered from those 32 C. difficile-positive environmental samples. The majority of environmental C. difficile isolates were toxigenic, with many (88.75%) positive for tcdA and tcdB. Seventy-four isolates (43.78%) were positive for binary toxins, cdtA and cdtB, and 19 isolates were non-toxigenic. All the environmental C. difficile isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and metronidazole, and most isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin (66.86%) and clindamycin (46.15%), followed by moxifloxacin (13.02%) and tetracycline (4.73%). Seventy-five isolates (44.38%) showed resistance to at least two of the tested antimicrobials. C. difficile strains are commonly present in various environmental sources contaminated by feces and could be a potential source of community-associated C. difficile infections.

Diversity of binary toxin positive Clostridioides difficile in Korea

The objective of this study is to determine the trend and diversity of binary toxin-positive Clostridioides difficile over 10 years in Korea. Binary toxin-positive strains were selected from a tertiary hospital in Korea in 2009-2018. The multi-locus sequence typing and antibiotic susceptibility test were performed. Among the 3278 isolates in 2009-2018, 58 possessed binary toxin genes (1.7%). The proportion of CDT- positive isolates was 0.51-4.82% in 2009-2018, which increased over the 10-year period (P = 0.023). Thirteen sequence types (STs) were identified; ST5 (14 [24%]), ST11 (11 [19%]), ST221 (10 [17%]), ST201 (7 [12%]) and ST1 (5 [9%]) were popular. All 58 isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and piperacillin/tazobactam, and clindamycin and moxifloxacin were active in 69.0% and 62% of isolates, respectively. ST1 strains were resistant to several antibiotics, including moxifloxacin (80%), clindamycin (60%) and rifaximin (60%). Moreover, four of five ST1 presented a metronidazole minimum inhibitory concentration of 4 µg/mL. Moxifloxacin resistance was highest (72.3%) for ST11. In conclusion, binary toxin-positive strains are non-prevalent in Korea and involve diverse STs. ST1 strains were resistant to several antibiotics.

Clostridioides difficile in South American Camelids in Germany: First Insights into Molecular and Genetic Characteristics and Antimicrobial Resistance

Little is known about zoonotic pathogens and their antimicrobial resistance in South American camelids (SAC) in Germany including Clostridioides (C.) difficile. The aim of this study was to investigate prevalence, molecular characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of C. difficile in SAC. Composite SAC faecal samples were collected in 43 husbandries in Central Germany and cultured for C. difficile. Toxinotyping and ribotyping was done by PCR. Whole genome sequencing was performed with Illumina^® Miseq™. The genomes were screened for antimicrobial resistance determinants. Genetic relatedness of the isolates was investigated using core genome multi locus sequence typing (cgMLST) and single nucleotide polymorphism analysis. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done using the Etest^® method. Eight C. difficile isolates were recovered from seven farms. The isolates belonged to different PCR ribotypes. All isolates were toxinogenic. cgMLST revealed a cluster containing isolates recovered from different farms. Seven isolates showed similar resistance gene patterns. Different phenotypic resistance patterns were found. Agreement between phenotypic and genotypic resistance was identified only in some cases. Consequently, SAC may act as a reservoir for C. difficile. Thus, SAC may pose a risk regarding zoonotic transmission of toxinogenic, potentially human-pathogenic and resistant C. difficile isolates.

Crystal structure of the sliding DNA clamp from the Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium Clostridioides difficile

The sliding DNA clamp is a ring-shaped protein that encircles DNA within its central channel. It binds to multiple proteins, such as DNA polymerases and DNA repair enzymes, and stimulates their enzymatic activities, thereby playing a crucial role in cell survival and proliferation. Accordingly, the bacterial clamp DnaN is considered to be a promising target for bacterial infection therapy. In this regard, 3D structures of DnaN from pathogenic bacteria are essential for the development of chemical compounds with antimicrobial activity. Here, the crystal structure of DnaN from a Gram-positive bacterium Clostridioides difficile, a human pathogen causing infectious diarrhoea, has been determined at 2.13 Å resolution. A comparison of the structures of DnaN from other bacteria indicates that the structural features of DnaN in terms of overall organization are essentially conserved within Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. However, DnaN from C. difficile has structural differences in the potential binding pocket for partner proteins, implying a non-conventional interaction with its binding partners. Our findings will provide insight into the development of new therapies for C. difficile infection.

Clostridioides difficile and neurological disorders: New perspectives

Despite brain physiological functions or pathological dysfunctions relying on the activity of neuronal/non-neuronal populations, over the last decades a plethora of evidence unraveled the essential contribution of the microbial populations living and residing within the gut, called gut microbiota. The gut microbiota plays a role in brain (dys)functions, and it will become a promising valuable therapeutic target for several brain pathologies. In the present mini-review, after a brief overview of the role of gut microbiota in normal brain physiology and pathology, we focus on the role of the bacterium Clostridioides difficile, a pathogen responsible for recurrent and refractory infections, in people with neurological diseases, summarizing recent correlative and causative evidence in the scientific literature and highlighting the potential of microbiota-based strategies targeting this pathogen to ameliorate not only gastrointestinal but also the neurological symptoms.

Ridinilazole: a novel, narrow-spectrum antimicrobial agent targeting Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile

Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile infection (CDI) remains an urgent threat to patients in health systems worldwide. Recurrent CDI occurs in up to 30% of cases due to sustained dysbiosis of the gut microbiota which normally protects against CDI. Associated costs of initial and recurrent episodes of CDI impose heavy financial burdens on health systems. Vancomycin and metronidazole have been the mainstay of therapy for CDI for many years; however, these agents continue to cause significant disruption to the gut microbiota and thus carry a high risk of recurrence for CDI patients. Treatment regimens are now turning towards novel narrow spectrum antimicrobial agents which target C. difficile while conserving the commensal gut microbiota, thus significantly reducing risk of recurrence. One such agent, fidaxomicin, has been in therapeutic use for several years and is now recommended as a first-line treatment for CDI, as it is superior to vancomycin in reducing risk of recurrence. Another narrow spectrum agent, ridnilazole, was recently developed and is undergoing evaluation of its potential clinical utility. This review aimed to summarize experimental reports of ridinilazole and assess its potential as a first-line agent for treatment of CDI. Reported results from in vitro assessments, and from hamster models of CDI, show potent activity against C. difficile, non-inferiority to vancomycin for clinical cure and non-susceptibility among most gut commensal bacteria. Phase I and II clinical trials have been completed with ridinilazole showing high tolerability and efficacy in treatment of CDI, and superiority over vancomycin in reducing recurrence of CDI within 30 days of treatment completion. Phase III trials are currently underway, the results of which may prove its potential to reduce recurrent CDI and lessen the heavy health and financial burden C. difficile imposes on patients and healthcare systems.

Antibiotic Resistance Profile of RT 027/176 Versus Other Clostridioides difficile Isolates in Silesia, Southern Poland

Clostridioides difficile is an important health care-associated pathogen. The aim of this study was to analyze the antibiotic susceptibility of C. difficile isolates from feces of patients from 13 hospitals in Silesia, Poland. The incidence of CDI per 100.000 people in Silesia in 2018−2019 was higher than the average in Poland (39.3−38.7 vs. 30.2−29.5, respectively). The incidence doubled from 26.4 in 2020 to 55.1 in 2021. Two hundred and thirty stool samples tested positive for GDH (glutamate dehydrogenase) and toxins were cultured anaerobically for C. difficile. The isolates were characterized, typed, and tested for susceptibility to 11 antibiotics by E-test (EUCAST, 2021). The genes of toxins A/B and binary were detected by mPCR. Of 215 isolates, 166 (77.2%) were classified as RT 027 and 6 (2.8%) as related RT 176. Resistance to ciprofloxacin (96.7%), moxifloxacin (79.1%), imipenem (78.1%), penicillin (67%), and rifampicin (40.5%) was found. The ermB gene was detected in 79 (36.7%) strains. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was confirmed in 50 (23.3%) strains of RT 027 (94%). We concluded that a high prevalence of MDR among hypervirulent RT 027/176 C. difficile was found in the Silesian region of Poland, emphasizing the need to enhance regional infection control on CDI and antibiotic stewardships.

Mechanisms and impact of antimicrobial resistance in Clostridioides difficile

The evolution of antimicrobial resistance in Clostridioides difficile has markedly shaped its epidemiology and detrimentally impacted patient care. C. difficile exhibits resistance to multiple classes of antimicrobials, due to accumulation of horizontally acquired resistance genes and de novo mutations to drug targets. Particularly worrying is that declines in clinical success of firstline CDI antimicrobials coincide with the spread of strains that are more resistant to these drugs. Yet, there is still much to learn regarding the prevalence of genetic elements in clinical isolates, their molecular mechanisms, and the extent to which this information can be translated to develop molecular diagnostics that improve antimicrobial prescribing and antimicrobial stewardship approaches for CDI. Thus, this perspective discusses current understanding and knowledge gaps of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms in C. difficile, emphasizing on CDI therapies.

Genetic Mechanisms of Vancomycin Resistance in Clostridioides difficile: A Systematic Review

Antimicrobial resistance to treatments for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) poses a significant threat to global health. C. difficile is widely thought to be susceptible to oral vancomycin, which is increasingly the mainstay of CDI treatment. However, clinical labs do not conduct C. difficile susceptibility testing, presenting a challenge to detecting the emergence and impact of resistance. In this systematic review, we describe gene determinants and associated clinical and laboratory mechanisms of vancomycin resistance in C. difficile, including drug-binding site alterations, efflux pumps, RNA polymerase mutations, and biofilm formation. Additional research is needed to further characterize these mechanisms and understand their clinical impact.

Molecular Methods for Pathogenic Bacteria Detection and Recent Advances in Wastewater Analysis

With increasing concerns about public health and the development of molecular techniques, new detection tools and the combination of existing approaches have increased the abilities of pathogenic bacteria monitoring by exploring new biomarkers, increasing the sensitivity and accuracy of detection, quantification, and analyzing various genes such as functional genes and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG). Molecular methods are gradually emerging as the most popular detection approach for pathogens, in addition to the conventional culture-based plate enumeration methods. The analysis of pathogens in wastewater and the back-estimation of infections in the community, also known as wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), is an emerging methodology and has a great potential to supplement current surveillance systems for the monitoring of infectious diseases and the early warning of outbreaks. However, as a complex matrix, wastewater largely challenges the analytical performance of molecular methods. This review synthesized the literature of typical pathogenic bacteria in wastewater, types of biomarkers, molecular methods for bacterial analysis, and their recent advances in wastewater analysis. The advantages and limitation of these molecular methods were evaluated, and their prospects in WBE were discussed to provide insight for future development.

Frontiers in antibiotic alternatives for Clostridioides difficile infection

Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is a gram-positive, anaerobic spore-forming bacterium and a major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Humans are naturally resistant to C. difficile infection (CDI) owing to the protection provided by healthy gut microbiota. When the gut microbiota is disturbed, C. difficile can colonize, produce toxins, and manifest clinical symptoms, ranging from asymptomatic diarrhea and colitis to death. Despite the steady-if not rising-prevalence of CDI, it will certainly become more problematic in a world of antibiotic overuse and the post-antibiotic era. C. difficile is naturally resistant to most of the currently used antibiotics as it uses multiple resistance mechanisms. Therefore, current CDI treatment regimens are extremely limited to only a few antibiotics, which include vancomycin, fidaxomicin, and metronidazole. Therefore, one of the main challenges experienced by the scientific community is the development of alternative approaches to control and treat CDI. In this Frontier article, we collectively summarize recent advances in alternative treatment approaches for CDI. Over the past few years, several studies have reported on natural product-derived compounds, drug repurposing, high-throughput library screening, phage therapy, and fecal microbiota transplantation. We also include an update on vaccine development, pre- and pro-biotics for CDI, and toxin antidote approaches. These measures tackle CDI at every stage of disease pathology via multiple mechanisms. We also discuss the gaps and concerns in these developments. The next epidemic of CDI is not a matter of if but a matter of when. Therefore, being well-equipped with a collection of alternative therapeutics is necessary and should be prioritized.