What Is Clostridium Difficile?
Clostridium difficile also known as C. diff
Microbiology
ITT-Tech College
Clostridium difficile grows without oxygen and in normal temperature of 98.6 that is why the body makes a perfect host. C.difficile exists in two states-the vegetative (growth) state or the spore state. In the vegetative state the bacterium is able to use nutrients to grow and divide. When conditions become unfavorable, C.difficile is able to enter a dormant state and form a highly resistant spore. When conditions become favorable C. difficile is able to return to its vegetative state. Spores can survive up to two years on inanimate objects. C. difficile causes disease by the release of two protein enterotoxins, toxin A and toxin B, which cause severe inflammation and mucosal injury to the colon-colitis. …show more content…
C. difficile is transmitted when the organism or its spores are ingested orally. This could be transferred by direct contact or person-to-person. C. difficile is a common yet sometimes fatal health-care-associated infection. When a person takes an antibiotic, the normal colonic bacteria are reduced. If it lacks the gene for toxin production, no disease develops. If it produces toxins A and B, it may cause colitis. Some people become carriers or develop a mild diarrhea, even when a toxin is produced, while others develop severe colitis and may have multiple relapses of the
Microbiology
ITT-Tech College
Clostridium difficile grows without oxygen and in normal temperature of 98.6 that is why the body makes a perfect host. C.difficile exists in two states-the vegetative (growth) state or the spore state. In the vegetative state the bacterium is able to use nutrients to grow and divide. When conditions become unfavorable, C.difficile is able to enter a dormant state and form a highly resistant spore. When conditions become favorable C. difficile is able to return to its vegetative state. Spores can survive up to two years on inanimate objects. C. difficile causes disease by the release of two protein enterotoxins, toxin A and toxin B, which cause severe inflammation and mucosal injury to the colon-colitis. …show more content…
C. difficile is transmitted when the organism or its spores are ingested orally. This could be transferred by direct contact or person-to-person. C. difficile is a common yet sometimes fatal health-care-associated infection. When a person takes an antibiotic, the normal colonic bacteria are reduced. If it lacks the gene for toxin production, no disease develops. If it produces toxins A and B, it may cause colitis. Some people become carriers or develop a mild diarrhea, even when a toxin is produced, while others develop severe colitis and may have multiple relapses of the