Molecular epidemiology of clostridium difficile in a tertiary medical center in Israel: emergence of the polymerase chain reaction ribotype 027.

BACKGROUND: The rate of infection with Clostridium difficile colitis and its associated mortality have been increasing in the last decade. The molecular epidemiology of C. difficile in Israel has not been studied. OBJECTIVES: To screen for the existence of the 027 and 078 ribotypes and determine the longitudinal molecular epidemiology of the circulating clinical C. difficile isolates in a large hospital in central Israel. METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ribotyping was performed on C. difficile isolates obtained from hospitalized patients from November 2003 to May 2004 (first study period) and September 2009 (second study period). Isolates with PCR ribotype patterns, unlike those of the available reference strains (078 and 027), were labeled with letters. Forty-six isolates from the first study period and 20 from the second were analyzed. RESULTS: PCR strain typing of C. difficile isolates yielded approximately 26 unique ribotypes. During the first study period, ribotype A and B accounted for 30% and 28%, respectively, whereas ribotype E and K accounted for 6.5% for each. During the second study period, ribotypes A, E and K disappeared, and the incidence of ribotype B decreased from 28% to 15%. One isolate (1/20, 5%) emerged during the second period and was identified as ribotype 027. Moxifloxacin resistance was found in 93% of ribotype A isolates, 81% of the ribotype B group, and in 44% of other ribotypes. CONCLUSIONS: The predominant ribotypes circulating in our institution were diverse and changing. This is the first report on the emergence of the 027 ribotype in Israel.

Antimicrobial resistance of Clostridium difficile isolates in a tertiary medical center, Israel.

The antimicrobial susceptibilities of 49 Clostridium difficile isolates obtained from patients with C. difficile-associated diarrhea to metronidazole, vancomycin, rifampicin, fusidic acid, doxycycline, and linezolid were determined by the disc diffusion and Etest (Biodisk, Solna, Sweden). Random amplification of polymorphic DNA-PCR amplification assay was performed for studying clonality of isolates. Resistance to metronidazole was found in 2% (1/49 isolates; MIC > or = 256 microg/mL) of isolates and resistance to linezolid in 2% (1/49 isolates; MIC = 24 microg/mL). One isolate showed combined resistance to fusidic acid (by disc diffusion test) and rifampicin (MIC > or = 32 microg/mL). All isolates were sensitive to doxycycline and vancomycin. Molecular typing revealed an absence of clonality among the resistant isolates, whereas the sensitive isolates were monoclonal. Resistance of C. difficile to metronidazole and other antimicrobials including linezolid exists in our institution. This finding should promote exploration of this problem in Israel and clarify the impact of resistance on outcome.

Cryptosporidiosis in children following solid organ transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Cryptosporidium parvum is a common cause of diarrhea. In immunocompetent individuals, spontaneous recovery is the rule. In immunocompromised patients, it may cause a serious disease. Data on cryptosporidiosis in children after solid organ transplantation are few. We report on 6 pediatric solid organ recipients with gastroenteritis caused by Cryptosporidium. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All episodes of gastroenteritis in solid organ transplant recipients hospitalized in Schneider Children's Medical Center from January 2008 to August 2011 were identified. Data on the episodes with positive staining for Cryptosporidium antigen in stool were reviewed. RESULTS: Fifty-seven episodes of gastroenteritis were recorded. In 6 (11%) patients (4 kidney recipient, 1 liver and kidney recipient and 1 heart transplant recipient) Cryptosporidium antigen was detected in stool. Mean age at transplantation was 3.7 ± 2 years, mean time between transplantation and cryptosporidial disease was 39 ± 53.9 months. Symptoms included prolonged diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain and weight loss. Mean duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 10.5 ± 8.7 days. In 5 children, kidney function deteriorated, blood concentrations of tacrolimus increased in 5 patients and abnormal values of liver enzymes were detected in 4 patients. All patients were hospitalized and received intravenous fluid replacement and were treated with nitazoxanide for 5-21 days. Two patients had recurrence of symptoms after short course (5 days) therapy. All patients recovered eventually from the disease. CONCLUSION: Cryptosporidium should be routinely tested in solid organ transplant recipients with diarrhea. Delay in initiation of treatment can result in serious complications including acute renal failure. Long-term therapy with nitazoxanide (at least 14 days) may facilitate recovery.