Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of toxigenic Clostridium difficile strains isolated in Iran

BACKGROUND/AIM: Clostridium difficile is a frequent cause of nosocomial infections and has become a major public health concern in developed nations. In the present study, the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of toxigenic C. difficile strains isolated in Iran were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between June 2016 and May 2017, 2947 inpatient fecal samples were taken from symptomatic adult hospitalized patients in different units of 32 care facilities in Tehran, Iran. C. difficile strains were identified by microbiological/biochemical methods. Susceptibility to 20 antimicrobials was measured by E-test method. Toxin-specific immunoassays and cytotoxicity assays were used to determine in vitro toxin production. RESULTS: Out of 2947 fecal samples, 538 (18.25%) C. difficile isolates were obtained among those with suspected CDI. In E-test method, all C. difficile isolates were susceptible to fidaxomicin, vancomycin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, and meropenem and were resistant to penicillin G. The prevalence of multidrug resistant C. difficile was 69.33% (373/538). Among 538 C. difficile, 147 (27.32%), 169 (31.41%), and 222 (41.26%) isolates were TcdA+/TcdB+, TcdA-/TcdB+, and TcdA-/TcdB-, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results evidently support the hypothesis of a probable role of toxigenic strains of C. difficile in developing gastrointestinal complaints in patients with diarrhea.