Direct detection and characterization of Clostridium difficile from a novel collection device to improve laboratory workflow

Emergence of Clostridium difficile strains with increased virulence emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and surveillance of C. difficile infection (CDI). In this study, the new FecalSwab (TM) collection and transport system was evaluated to improve C. difficile diagnosis. The FecalSwab (TM) was used for direct C. difficile molecular detection, C. difficile culture/toxigenic culture (TC) and bacterial genomic DNA (bgDNA) extraction. Our results demonstrated that the FecalSwab (TM) medium could be successfully used as template for Xpert C. difficile binary toxin (BT), regardless of the bacterial load of samples, and for C. difficile culture also after a long storage (30 days) of FecalSwab (TM) tubes at 4 degrees C. Furthermore, good-quality bgDNA was extracted from the FecalSwab (TM) medium for the majority (75%) of the samples analyzed. Typing was performed to fully characterize C. difficile strains isolated during this study and 17 different PCR-ribotypes (RTs) were identified. The results obtained indicate that the FecalSwab (TM) can be successfully used not only in daily diagnostic routine of C. difficile but also in surveillance and retrospective studies.