Pathogenicity and virulence of Clostridioides difficile

Clostridioides difficile is the most common cause of nosocomial antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and is responsible for a spectrum of diseases characterized by high levels of recurrence, morbidity, and mortality. Treatment is complex, since antibiotics constitute both the main treatment and the major...

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Main Authors: Jessica E. Buddle, Robert P. Fagan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2023-12-01
Series:Virulence
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21505594.2022.2150452
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author Jessica E. Buddle
Robert P. Fagan
author_facet Jessica E. Buddle
Robert P. Fagan
author_sort Jessica E. Buddle
collection DOAJ
description Clostridioides difficile is the most common cause of nosocomial antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and is responsible for a spectrum of diseases characterized by high levels of recurrence, morbidity, and mortality. Treatment is complex, since antibiotics constitute both the main treatment and the major risk factor for infection. Worryingly, resistance to multiple antibiotics is becoming increasingly widespread, leading to the classification of this pathogen as an urgent threat to global health. As a consummate opportunist, C. difficile is well equipped for promoting disease, owing to its arsenal of virulence factors: transmission of this anaerobe is highly efficient due to the formation of robust endospores, and an array of adhesins promote gut colonization. C. difficile produces multiple toxins acting upon gut epithelia, resulting in manifestations typical of diarrheal disease, and severe inflammation in a subset of patients. This review focuses on such virulence factors, as well as the importance of antimicrobial resistance and genome plasticity in enabling pathogenesis and persistence of this important pathogen.
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spelling doaj-art-dfb2a56612714bdfa6f8c2c51c9c45d02025-08-20T03:29:15ZengTaylor & Francis GroupVirulence2150-55942150-56082023-12-0114110.1080/21505594.2022.2150452Pathogenicity and virulence of Clostridioides difficileJessica E. Buddle0Robert P. Fagan1Molecular Microbiology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UKMolecular Microbiology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UKClostridioides difficile is the most common cause of nosocomial antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and is responsible for a spectrum of diseases characterized by high levels of recurrence, morbidity, and mortality. Treatment is complex, since antibiotics constitute both the main treatment and the major risk factor for infection. Worryingly, resistance to multiple antibiotics is becoming increasingly widespread, leading to the classification of this pathogen as an urgent threat to global health. As a consummate opportunist, C. difficile is well equipped for promoting disease, owing to its arsenal of virulence factors: transmission of this anaerobe is highly efficient due to the formation of robust endospores, and an array of adhesins promote gut colonization. C. difficile produces multiple toxins acting upon gut epithelia, resulting in manifestations typical of diarrheal disease, and severe inflammation in a subset of patients. This review focuses on such virulence factors, as well as the importance of antimicrobial resistance and genome plasticity in enabling pathogenesis and persistence of this important pathogen.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21505594.2022.2150452c. difficilevirulence factorsantimicrobial resistancetoxinssporesCDI
spellingShingle Jessica E. Buddle
Robert P. Fagan
Pathogenicity and virulence of Clostridioides difficile
Virulence
c. difficile
virulence factors
antimicrobial resistance
toxins
spores
CDI
title Pathogenicity and virulence of Clostridioides difficile
title_full Pathogenicity and virulence of Clostridioides difficile
title_fullStr Pathogenicity and virulence of Clostridioides difficile
title_full_unstemmed Pathogenicity and virulence of Clostridioides difficile
title_short Pathogenicity and virulence of Clostridioides difficile
title_sort pathogenicity and virulence of clostridioides difficile
topic c. difficile
virulence factors
antimicrobial resistance
toxins
spores
CDI
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21505594.2022.2150452
work_keys_str_mv AT jessicaebuddle pathogenicityandvirulenceofclostridioidesdifficile
AT robertpfagan pathogenicityandvirulenceofclostridioidesdifficile