C. Difficile Bacteria Adapted to Spread in Hospitals
|
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 29 Aug 2019 |
|
Image: The gut-infecting bacterium Clostridium difficile shown growing in a petri dish, and is evolving into two separate species with one group highly adapted to spread in hospitals (Photo courtesy of Anne Koerber/LSHTM).
Clostridioides difficile, also known as Clostridium difficile, bacteria can infect the gut and are the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea worldwide. While someone is healthy and not taking antibiotics, millions of 'good' bacteria in the gut keep the C. difficile under control.
However, antibiotics wipe out the normal gut bacteria, leaving the patient vulnerable to C. difficile infection in the gut. This is then difficult to treat and can cause bowel inflammation and severe diarrhea. Often found in hospital environments, C. difficile forms resistant spores that allow it to remain on surfaces and spread easily between people, making it a significant burden on the healthcare system.
Scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (Hinxton, UK) and their colleagues collected and cultured 906 strains of C. difficile isolated from humans, animals, such as dogs, pigs and horses, and the environment. By sequencing the DNA of each strain, and comparing and analyzing all the genomes, they discovered that C. difficile is currently evolving into two separate species.
The team found that found that this emerging species, named C. difficile clade A, made up approximately 70% of the samples from hospital patients. It had changes in genes that metabolize simple sugars, so they then studied C. difficile in mice, and found that the newly emerging strains colonized mice better when their diet was enriched with sugar. It had also evolved differences in the genes involved in forming spores, giving much greater resistance to common hospital disinfectants. These changes allow it to spread more easily in healthcare environments.
Trevor Lawley, PhD, a molecular microbiologist and senior author of the study, said, “Our study provides genome and laboratory based evidence that human lifestyles can drive bacteria to form new species so they can spread more effectively. We show that strains of C. difficile bacteria have continued to evolve in response to modern diets and healthcare systems and reveal that focusing on diet and looking for new disinfectants could help in the fight against these bacteria.” The study was published on August 12, 2019, in the journal Nature Genetics.
Related Links:
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
However, antibiotics wipe out the normal gut bacteria, leaving the patient vulnerable to C. difficile infection in the gut. This is then difficult to treat and can cause bowel inflammation and severe diarrhea. Often found in hospital environments, C. difficile forms resistant spores that allow it to remain on surfaces and spread easily between people, making it a significant burden on the healthcare system.
Scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (Hinxton, UK) and their colleagues collected and cultured 906 strains of C. difficile isolated from humans, animals, such as dogs, pigs and horses, and the environment. By sequencing the DNA of each strain, and comparing and analyzing all the genomes, they discovered that C. difficile is currently evolving into two separate species.
The team found that found that this emerging species, named C. difficile clade A, made up approximately 70% of the samples from hospital patients. It had changes in genes that metabolize simple sugars, so they then studied C. difficile in mice, and found that the newly emerging strains colonized mice better when their diet was enriched with sugar. It had also evolved differences in the genes involved in forming spores, giving much greater resistance to common hospital disinfectants. These changes allow it to spread more easily in healthcare environments.
Trevor Lawley, PhD, a molecular microbiologist and senior author of the study, said, “Our study provides genome and laboratory based evidence that human lifestyles can drive bacteria to form new species so they can spread more effectively. We show that strains of C. difficile bacteria have continued to evolve in response to modern diets and healthcare systems and reveal that focusing on diet and looking for new disinfectants could help in the fight against these bacteria.” The study was published on August 12, 2019, in the journal Nature Genetics.
Related Links:
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
Platinum Member
COVID-19 Rapid Test
OSOM COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
Complement 3 (C3) Test
GPP-100 C3 Kit
Gold Member
Fully Automated Cell Density/Viability Analyzer
BioProfile FAST CDV
Latest Molecular Diagnostics News
- New Respiratory Syndromic Testing Panel Provides Fast and Accurate Results
- New Synthetic Biomarker Technology Differentiates Between Prior Zika and Dengue Infections
- Novel Biomarkers to Improve Diagnosis of Renal Cell Carcinoma Subtypes
- RNA-Powered Molecular Test to Help Combat Early-Age Onset Colorectal Cancer
- Advanced Blood Test to Spot Alzheimer's Before Progression to Dementia
- Multi-Omic Noninvasive Urine-Based DNA Test to Improve Bladder Cancer Detection
- First of Its Kind NGS Assay for Precise Detection of BCR::ABL1 Fusion Gene to Enable Personalized Leukemia Treatment
- Urine Test to Revolutionize Lyme Disease Testing
- Simple Blood Test Could Enable First Quantitative Assessments for Future Cerebrovascular Disease
- New Genetic Testing Procedure Combined With Ultrasound Detects High Cardiovascular Risk
- Blood Samples Enhance B-Cell Lymphoma Diagnostics and Prognosis
- Blood Test Predicts Knee Osteoarthritis Eight Years Before Signs Appears On X-Rays
- Blood Test Accurately Predicts Lung Cancer Risk and Reduces Need for Scans
- Unique Autoantibody Signature to Help Diagnose Multiple Sclerosis Years before Symptom Onset
- Blood Test Could Detect HPV-Associated Cancers 10 Years before Clinical Diagnosis
- Low-Cost Point-Of-Care Diagnostic to Expand Access to STI Testing
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
3D Printed Point-Of-Care Mass Spectrometer Outperforms State-Of-The-Art Models
Mass spectrometry is a precise technique for identifying the chemical components of a sample and has significant potential for monitoring chronic illness health states, such as measuring hormone levels... Read more.jpg "Image: Reaching speeds up to 6,000 RPM, this centrifuge forms the basis for a new type of inexpensive, POC biomedical test (Photo courtesy of Duke University)")
POC Biomedical Test Spins Water Droplet Using Sound Waves for Cancer Detection
Exosomes, tiny cellular bioparticles carrying a specific set of proteins, lipids, and genetic materials, play a crucial role in cell communication and hold promise for non-invasive diagnostics.... Read more
Highly Reliable Cell-Based Assay Enables Accurate Diagnosis of Endocrine Diseases
The conventional methods for measuring free cortisol, the body's stress hormone, from blood or saliva are quite demanding and require sample processing. The most common method, therefore, involves collecting... Read more
Molecular Diagnostics
view channel.jpg "Image: The QIAstat-Dx Respiratory Panel Plus has received U.S. FDA clearance (Photo courtesy of QIAGEN)")
New Respiratory Syndromic Testing Panel Provides Fast and Accurate Results
Respiratory tract infections are a major reason for emergency department visits and hospitalizations. According to the CDC, the U.S. sees up to 41 million influenza cases annually, resulting in several... Read more
New Synthetic Biomarker Technology Differentiates Between Prior Zika and Dengue Infections
Until now, researchers and clinicians have lacked diagnostic tools to easily differentiate between past infections with different flaviviruses—a family of mostly mosquito- and tick-borne viruses that include... Read more
Hematology
view channel
Next Generation Instrument Screens for Hemoglobin Disorders in Newborns
Hemoglobinopathies, the most widespread inherited conditions globally, affect about 7% of the population as carriers, with 2.7% of newborns being born with these conditions. The spectrum of clinical manifestations... Read more
First 4-in-1 Nucleic Acid Test for Arbovirus Screening to Reduce Risk of Transfusion-Transmitted Infections
Arboviruses represent an emerging global health threat, exacerbated by climate change and increased international travel that is facilitating their spread across new regions. Chikungunya, dengue, West... Read more
POC Finger-Prick Blood Test Determines Risk of Neutropenic Sepsis in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy
Neutropenia, a decrease in neutrophils (a type of white blood cell crucial for fighting infections), is a frequent side effect of certain cancer treatments. This condition elevates the risk of infections,... Read more
First Affordable and Rapid Test for Beta Thalassemia Demonstrates 99% Diagnostic Accuracy
Hemoglobin disorders rank as some of the most prevalent monogenic diseases globally. Among various hemoglobin disorders, beta thalassemia, a hereditary blood disorder, affects about 1.5% of the world's... Read moreImmunology
view channel
Diagnostic Blood Test for Cellular Rejection after Organ Transplant Could Replace Surgical Biopsies
Transplanted organs constantly face the risk of being rejected by the recipient's immune system which differentiates self from non-self using T cells and B cells. T cells are commonly associated with acute... Read more
AI Tool Precisely Matches Cancer Drugs to Patients Using Information from Each Tumor Cell
Current strategies for matching cancer patients with specific treatments often depend on bulk sequencing of tumor DNA and RNA, which provides an average profile from all cells within a tumor sample.... Read more
Genetic Testing Combined With Personalized Drug Screening On Tumor Samples to Revolutionize Cancer Treatment
Cancer treatment typically adheres to a standard of care—established, statistically validated regimens that are effective for the majority of patients. However, the disease’s inherent variability means... Read more
Pathology
view channel
Hyperspectral Dark-Field Microscopy Enables Rapid and Accurate Identification of Cancerous Tissues
Breast cancer remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality among women. Breast-conserving surgery (BCS), also known as lumpectomy, is the removal of the cancerous lump and a small margin of surrounding tissue.... Read more
AI Advancements Enable Leap into 3D Pathology
Human tissue is complex, intricate, and naturally three-dimensional. However, the thin two-dimensional tissue slices commonly used by pathologists to diagnose diseases provide only a limited view of the... Read more
New Blood Test Device Modeled on Leeches to Help Diagnose Malaria
Many individuals have a fear of needles, making the experience of having blood drawn from their arm particularly distressing. An alternative method involves taking blood from the fingertip or earlobe,... Read more
Robotic Blood Drawing Device to Revolutionize Sample Collection for Diagnostic Testing
Blood drawing is performed billions of times each year worldwide, playing a critical role in diagnostic procedures. Despite its importance, clinical laboratories are dealing with significant staff shortages,... Read moreTechnology
view channel
New Diagnostic System Achieves PCR Testing Accuracy
While PCR tests are the gold standard of accuracy for virology testing, they come with limitations such as complexity, the need for skilled lab operators, and longer result times. They also require complex... Read more
DNA Biosensor Enables Early Diagnosis of Cervical Cancer
Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), recognized for its potential to form two-dimensional nanosheets like graphene, is a material that's increasingly catching the eye of the scientific community.... Read more
Self-Heating Microfluidic Devices Can Detect Diseases in Tiny Blood or Fluid Samples
Microfluidics, which are miniature devices that control the flow of liquids and facilitate chemical reactions, play a key role in disease detection from small samples of blood or other fluids.... Read more
Breakthrough in Diagnostic Technology Could Make On-The-Spot Testing Widely Accessible
Home testing gained significant importance during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet the availability of rapid tests is limited, and most of them can only drive one liquid across the strip, leading to continued... Read moreIndustry
view channel
Danaher and Johns Hopkins University Collaborate to Improve Neurological Diagnosis
Unlike severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), mild TBI often does not show clear correlations with abnormalities detected through head computed tomography (CT) scans. Consequently, there is a pressing need... Read more
Beckman Coulter and MeMed Expand Host Immune Response Diagnostics Partnership
Beckman Coulter Diagnostics (Brea, CA, USA) and MeMed BV (Haifa, Israel) have expanded their host immune response diagnostics partnership. Beckman Coulter is now an authorized distributor of the MeMed... Read more_1.jpg "Image: Thermo Fisher will distribute Bio-Techne products across Europe (Photo courtesy of 123RF)")
