Detecting and Identifying Clostridioides difficile
Clostridioides difficile (Cdif) is a bacterial species responsible for many infections that are acquired in hospitals and other medical settings. These infections can be very severe and can only be effectively prevented and treated if the bacteria can be reliably detected and identified. COMBACTE-CDI's EFPIA partner bioMérieux emphasizes how deciphering of a full genome sequence allows very accurate identification of the bacterial species and facilitates the in-hospital tracing of Cdif.
Detection is nowadays mostly based on cultivation, e.g. using the bacterial species-specific bioMérieux chromogenic CHROMID® Cdif culture media or toxin A and B detection by immunoassays. Direct and rapid PCR testing is another option.
Still, complete microbiological characterization of Cdif isolates requires new technologies to be used. As an example, genome sequencing standardized protocols for Cdif strain comparison have been developed in the laboratory of Emmanuelle Santiago Allexant (bioMérieux R&D Microbiology Sequencing platform). Deciphering of a full genome sequence does not only allow very accurate identification of the bacterial species but it also facilitates the in-hospital tracing of Cdif.
To this effect bioMérieux has developed and provided a new bio-informatic tool named BIOMERIEUX EPISEQ® CS that allows detailed comparisons of genome sequences of multiple Cdif strains, up into the hundreds per comparison. Such comparisons not only define how strains “travel” from patient to patient, but it also helps to assess the importance of the environment as a reservoir for Cdif, it shows how Cdif spreads at a regional, national to even intercontinental level and it facilitates tracking of antibiotic resistance associated with Cdif.
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