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Freier L, Zacharias N, Gemein S, Gebel J, Engelhart S, Exner M, Mutters NT. Environmental Contamination and Persistence of Clostridioides difficile in Hospital Wastewater Systems. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0001423. [PMID: 37071016 PMCID: PMC10231184 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00014-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile produces an environmentally resistant dormant spore morphotype that infected patients shed to the hospital environment. C. difficile spores persist in clinical reservoirs that are not targeted by hospital routine cleaning protocols. Transmissions and infections from these reservoirs present a hazard to patient safety. This study aimed to assess the impact of patients acutely suffering from C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) on C. difficile environmental contamination to identify potential reservoirs. Twenty-three hospital rooms accommodating CDAD inpatients with corresponding soiled workrooms of 14 different wards were studied in a German maximum-care hospital. Additionally, four rooms that never accommodated CDAD patients were examined as negative controls. Stagnant water and biofilms from sinks, toilets, and washer disinfector (WD) traps as well as swabs from cleaned bedpans and high-touch surfaces (HTSs) were sampled. For detection, a culture method was used with selective medium. A latex agglutination assay and a Tox A/B enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were performed with suspect colonies. Stagnant water and biofilms in hospital traps (29%), WDs (34%), and HTSs (37%) were found to be reservoirs for large amounts of C. difficile during the stay of CDAD inpatients that decreased but could persist 13 ± 6 days after their discharge (13%, 14%, and 9.5%, respectively). Control rooms showed none or only slight contamination restricted to WDs. A short-term cleaning strategy was implemented that reduced C. difficile in stagnant water almost entirely. IMPORTANCE Wastewater pipes are microbial ecosystems. The potential risk of infection emanating from the wastewater for individuals is often neglected, since it is perceived to remain in the pipes. However, sewage systems start with siphons and are thus naturally connected to the outside world. Wastewater pathogens do not only flow unidirectionally to wastewater treatment plants but also retrogradely, e.g., through splashing water from siphons to the hospital environment. This study focused on the pathogen C. difficile, which can cause severe and sometimes fatal diarrheas. This study shows how patients suffering from such diarrheas contaminate the hospital environment with C. difficile and that contamination persists in siphon habitats after patient discharge. This might pose a health risk for hospitalized patients afterward. Since this pathogen's spore morphotype is very environmentally resistant and difficult to disinfect, we show a cleaning measure that can almost entirely eliminate C. difficile from siphons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lia Freier
- Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Nicole Zacharias
- Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Stefanie Gemein
- Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Reference Institute for Bioanalytics, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jürgen Gebel
- Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Steffen Engelhart
- Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Martin Exner
- Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Nico T. Mutters
- Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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SHEA/IDSA/APIC Practice Recommendation: Strategies to prevent healthcare-associated infections through hand hygiene: 2022 Update. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2023; 44:355-376. [PMID: 36751708 PMCID: PMC10015275 DOI: 10.1017/ice.2022.304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this document is to highlight practical recommendations to assist acute-care hospitals in prioritization and implementation of strategies to prevent healthcare-associated infections through hand hygiene. This document updates the Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals through Hand Hygiene, published in 2014. This expert guidance document is sponsored by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology (SHEA). It is the product of a collaborative effort led by SHEA, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, the American Hospital Association, and The Joint Commission, with major contributions from representatives of a number of organizations and societies with content expertise.
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Baquero F, Saralegui C, Marcos-Mencía D, Ballestero L, Vañó-Galván S, Moreno-Arrones ÓM, Del Campo R. Epidermis as a Platform for Bacterial Transmission. Front Immunol 2021; 12:774018. [PMID: 34925344 PMCID: PMC8671829 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.774018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The epidermis constitutes a continuous external layer covering the body, offering protection against bacteria, the most abundant living organisms that come into contact with this barrier. The epidermis is heavily colonized by commensal bacterial organisms that help protect against pathogenic bacteria. The highly regulated and dynamic interaction between the epidermis and commensals involves the host’s production of nutritional factors promoting bacterial growth together to chemical and immunological bacterial inhibitors. Signal trafficking ensures the system’s homeostasis; conditions that favor colonization by pathogens frequently foster commensal growth, thereby increasing the bacterial population size and inducing the skin’s antibacterial response, eliminating the pathogens and re-establishing the normal density of commensals. The microecological conditions of the epidermis favors Gram-positive organisms and are unsuitable for long-term Gram-negative colonization. However, the epidermis acts as the most important host-to-host transmission platform for bacteria, including those that colonize human mucous membranes. Bacteria are frequently shared by relatives, partners, and coworkers. The epidermal bacterial transmission platform of healthcare workers and visitors can contaminate hospitalized patients, eventually contributing to cross-infections. Epidermal transmission occurs mostly via the hands and particularly through fingers. The three-dimensional physical structure of the epidermis, particularly the fingertips, which have frictional ridges, multiplies the possibilities for bacterial adhesion and release. Research into the biology of bacterial transmission via the hands is still in its infancy; however, tribology, the science of interacting surfaces in relative motion, including friction, wear and lubrication, will certainly be an important part of it. Experiments on finger-to-finger transmission of microorganisms have shown significant interindividual differences in the ability to transmit microorganisms, presumably due to genetics, age, sex, and the gland density, which determines the physical, chemical, adhesive, nutritional, and immunological status of the epidermal surface. These studies are needed to optimize interventions and strategies for preventing the hand transmission of microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Baquero
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.,Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Claudia Saralegui
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Marcos-Mencía
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Luna Ballestero
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergio Vañó-Galván
- Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Óscar M Moreno-Arrones
- Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosa Del Campo
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Health Sciences, Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Red en Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBER-EEII), Madrid, Spain
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Redding L, Huang E, Ryave J, Webb T, Barnhart D, Baker L, Bender J, Kristula M, Kelly D. Clostridioides difficile on dairy farms and potential risk to dairy farm workers. Anaerobe 2021; 69:102353. [PMID: 33639290 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2021.102353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile causes severe colitis in people and is a significant enteric pathogen in many species of animals, including swine, horses, and potentially cattle. C. difficile is shed in feces, and transmission occurs horizontally via the fecal-oral route. Livestock has been suggested as a potential reservoir for C. difficile, and while studies have shown that swine and farm workers can be colonized with identical clones of C. difficile, the zoonotic transmission of C. difficile from livestock to people has not been definitively demonstrated. The goal of this study was to determine whether dairy calves and dairy farm workers harbored genetically similar isolates of C. difficile. First, we validated a glove juice protocol for detecting C. difficile on farm workers' hands. We then visited 23 farms and collected 1) fecal samples from 92 dairy calves, 2) hand rinsates from 38 dairy farm workers, and 3) fecal samples from five of the dairy farm workers who were willing to submit them. All samples underwent anaerobic culture and qPCR to detect C. difficile. C. difficile was detected on 15 of the farms (65.2%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 42.7%-83.6%) and in 28 calves (30.4%, 95% CI 21.2-40.9%) but in none of the hand rinsates or human fecal samples. Thus, the zoonotic transmission of C. difficile on dairy farms could not be demonstrated, and dairy farmers did not appear to be at increased risk of acquiring C. difficile via the fecal-oral route.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel Redding
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kennett Square, PA, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Huang
- University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jacob Ryave
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kennett Square, PA, USA
| | - Terry Webb
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kennett Square, PA, USA
| | - Denise Barnhart
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kennett Square, PA, USA
| | - Linda Baker
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kennett Square, PA, USA
| | - Joseph Bender
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kennett Square, PA, USA
| | - Michaela Kristula
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kennett Square, PA, USA
| | - Donna Kelly
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kennett Square, PA, USA
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Abstract
Clostridioides difficile remains a leading cause of healthcare-associated infection. Efforts at C. difficile prevention have been hampered by an increasingly complex understanding of transmission patterns and a high degree of heterogeneity among existing studies. Effective prevention of C. difficile infection requires multimodal interventions, including contact precautions, hand hygiene with soap and water, effective environmental cleaning, use of sporicidal cleaning agents, and antimicrobial stewardship. Roles for probiotics, avoidance of proton pump inhibitors, and isolation of asymptomatic carriers remain poorly defined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Turner
- Duke University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Durham, North Carolina.,Duke Center for Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Prevention, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Deverick J Anderson
- Duke University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Durham, North Carolina.,Duke Center for Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Prevention, Durham, North Carolina
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Ramai D, Noorani A, Ofosu A, Ofori E, Reddy M, Gasperino J. Practice measures for controlling and preventing hospital associated Clostridium difficile infections. Hosp Pract (1995) 2019; 47:123-129. [PMID: 31177865 DOI: 10.1080/21548331.2019.1627851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Clostridium difficile (CD) is the most common cause of nosocomial diarrhea. We aim to highlight practice measures for controlling and preventing Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) in the hospital setting. Electronic databases including PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Cochrane Databases were searched for human studies that assessed strategic measures for the prevention of CDI. Bundled interventions can effectively reduce the rates of CDI. Current evidence support the implementation antibiotic stewardship programs, hygiene enhancement, dietary management with probiotics, use of copper surfaces, and the cautious use of PPIs. However, current guidelines do not advocate the use of copper, probiotics, or the discontinuation of PPIs as a means for reducing CDI. We review these practical and evidence-based approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daryl Ramai
- Department of Medicine, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Academic Affiliate of The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Clinical Affiliate of The Mount Sinai Hospital , Brooklyn , NY , USA
| | - Aaquib Noorani
- Department of Surgery, Staten Island University Hospital , Staten Island , NY , USA
| | - Andrew Ofosu
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Academic Affiliate of The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Clinical Affiliate of The Mount Sinai Hospital , Brooklyn , NY , USA
| | - Emmanuel Ofori
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Academic Affiliate of The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Clinical Affiliate of The Mount Sinai Hospital , Brooklyn , NY , USA
| | - Madhavi Reddy
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Academic Affiliate of The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Clinical Affiliate of The Mount Sinai Hospital , Brooklyn , NY , USA
| | - James Gasperino
- Department of Medicine, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Academic Affiliate of The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Clinical Affiliate of The Mount Sinai Hospital , Brooklyn , NY , USA
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Figueroa Castro CE, Munoz-Price LS. Advances in Infection Control for Clostridioides (Formerly Clostridium) difficile Infection. CURRENT TREATMENT OPTIONS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40506-019-0179-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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