Clostridium difficile (C.diff)

 Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, is a spore-forming bacterium that can cause diarrhea and colitis (inflammation of the colon) or more serious conditions such as pseudomembranous colitis. C. diff is most often related to antibiotic use in a healthcare setting.

In recent years, C.diff infections (CDIs) have become more severe and difficult to treat and are seen in people without healthcare exposures traditionally associated with CDI, such as hospital stays.

 Resources for the Public

• Healthcare Associated Infections - Clostridium difficile (CDC)

• FAQs about Clostridium difficile (CDC)

• Preguntas Frecuentes: Clostridium difficile (CDC, Spanish) 

Resources for Health Care Professionals

• FAQs about Clostridium difficile for Healthcare Providers (CDC)

• Clinical Practice Guidelines for Clostridium difficile Infection in Adults (Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America/ Infectious Disease Society of America [SHEA/IDSA])

Resources for Public Health Professionals

• Strategies to Prevent Clostridium difficile Infections in Acute Care Hospitals (SHEA/IDSA)

• Guide to Elimination of Clostridium difficile in Healthcare Settings (Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology [APIC]) 

• Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings (CDC)

• Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Healthcare Facilities (CDC)

  • Clostridium difficile excerpt

• C. difficile Toolkit: Evaluating Environmental Cleaning (CDC)

• Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings (CDC)