Funding outcome

Clostridium difficile infection is most notorious as a cause of death in elderly hospital patients; however, the pediatric population also share the burden of disease. This bacteria is spore-forming and produces two toxins (Toxin A and B) that cause moderate to severe diarrhea which can lead to surgical intervention or death in extreme cases of infection. Infection is believed to arise from healthcare and community environments with pediatric cases being primarily from the community. Children between the ages of 0-2 years frequently exhibit high rates of benign carriage of C. difficile. Therefore, it can be particularly difficult to discriminate between benign carriage and disease in pediatric cases. In addition, the characteristics of pediatric C. difficile colonization are not well defined especially in the community pediatric population. This study will identify the prevalent strains of C. difficile in the Albertan pediatric population, determine if toxin is produced, and quantify how much C. difficile is present in these children. In addition, we will investigate the use of a rapid fingerprinting method for C. difficile. This method will increase turnaround- time and identify C. difficile strains in community and hospital settings. The results of our study will help provide insight on the asymptomatic nature of pediatric colonization. It will also provide an overall picture of the types of C. difficile found in the Albertan pediatric population. Determination of bacterial quantity and toxin production will lead to a greater understanding of the clinical relevance of C. difficile colonization within the pediatric population.