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Clostridium difficile infections

Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic bacterium, widely distributed in soil and the intestinal tracts of animals. The clinical spectrum of C. difficile infection (CDI) ranges from mild diarrhoea to severe life threatening pseudomembranous colitis. CDI is generally, but not always associated with previous use of antibiotics. Read more facts on Clostridium difficile infections

Surveillance and disease data

Hospital-based surveillance of CDIs in EU/EEA using a common European protocol allows hospitals in the countries to collect comparable data.

Facts and surveillance

The transmission of C. difficile can be patient-to-patient, via contaminated hands of healthcare workers or by environmental contamination.

Latest outputs

Publication

European surveillance of Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile infections - surveillance protocol version 2.4

Technical guidance -

Publication

Laboratory procedures for diagnosis and typing of human Clostridium difficile infection

Technical report -

Publication

Healthcare-associated infections: Clostridium difficile infections - Annual Epidemiological Report for 2016

Surveillance report -

Publication

European surveillance of Clostridium difficile infections - surveillance protocol version 2.3

Technical guidance -

Publication

European Surveillance of Clostridium difficile infections. Surveillance protocol version 2.2

Technical guidance -

Peer-Reviewed Publication

A review on the eco-epidemiology and clinical management of human granulocytic anaplasmosis and its agent in Europe

Dec 2019

Peer-Reviewed Publication

A governance framework for development and assessment of national action plans on antimicrobial resistance

Nov 2019

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Application of a new methodology and R package reveals a high burden of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) in Germany compared to the average in the European Union/European Economic Area, 2011 to 2012

Nov 2019

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Antimicrobial use in European long-term care facilities: results from the third point prevalence survey of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use, 2016 to 2017

Nov 2018

Peer-Reviewed Publication

How to: Surveillance of Clostridium difficile infections.

Jan 2018

Related diseases / public health areas

Disease / public health area

Healthcare-associated infections

Disease / public health area

Antimicrobial resistance

Disease / public health area

Antimicrobial consumption

Disease networks

European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net)

Healthcare-associated Infections Surveillance Network (HAI-Net)

European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption Network (ESAC-Net)

European Antimicrobial Resistance Genes Surveillance Network (EURGen-Net)