A study published in the Journal of Hospital Infection examined the current epidemiological landscape and risk factors associated with community-acquired Clostridium difficile infection.
Researchers searched PubMed, Medline, Embase, Google Scholar, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov and Cochrane Databases for human studies performed between 2000 and 2017. They identified studies that focused on community-acquired C. diff. They included 39 articles in their analysis.
Researchers found the incidence of community-acquired C. diff has almost doubled in the past 10 years and approximately half of all cases of C. diff are attributed to community origin.
The following individual factors indicate higher risk for community-acquired C. diff:
• Younger
• Female
• In the presence of infants
• Frequently use proton pump inhibitors or specific classes of antibiotics
• Live near farms and livestock
Approximately 40 percent of all community-acquired cases require hospitalization.
"Community-acquired CDI represents a growing public health threat and burden on healthcare systems," study authors concluded.