Environmental shedding of toxigenic Clostridioides difficile by asymptomatic carriers: A prospective observational study

ObjectivesThe aim was to compare the burden of environmental shedding of toxigenic Clostridioides difficile among asymptomatic carriers, C. difficile-infected (CDI) patients and non-carriers in an inpatient non-epidemic setting.MethodsC. difficile carriage was determined by positive toxin-B PCR from rectal swabs of asymptomatic patients. Active CDI was defined as a positive two-step enzyme immunoassay/polymerase chain reaction (EIA/PCR) test in...