Abstract

Detection of the source of Clostridium difficile for the control of nosocomial infections produced by these bacteria is very important. For this reason 84 C. difficile isolated from 250 stool samples of symptomatic patients, staff, asymptomatic patients at first day of admission, the same patients after seven days of hospitalization and 135 samples from their hospital environment were typed by AP- PCR. In addition to conventional standard tests, gas liquid chromatography was also used as complementary test to identify C. difficile isolates. All isolates were separated into 12 genotypes, with 31% falling into group I. Genotypes VIII, X and XII were found only in isolates of symptomatic patients while genotype I was observed in all C. difficile of patients and environment. Genotypes III was not detected in any C. difficile isolates except in one of the acquired isolates. C. difficile is frequently transmitted among hospitalized patients, staff, and their hospital environment.

Key words: Clostridium difficile, arbitrarily primed- PCR, gas chromatography.