Clostridioides difficile infection in Africa: A narrative review

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Anaerobe

Volume

74

PubMed ID

35337974

Publisher

Elsevier

School

School of Medical and Health Sciences

RAS ID

52677

Funders

Australia Awards Post-Doctoral Fellowship Grant

Comments

Kullin, B., Abratt, V. R., Reid, S. J., & Riley, T. V. (2022). Clostridioides difficile infection in Africa: A narrative review. Anaerobe, 74, 102549. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anaerobe.2022.102549

Abstract

Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile infection (CDI) places a burden on healthcare facilities worldwide. Most research studies have been concentrated in high-income countries in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, where C. difficile is the leading cause of diarrhoea associated with antimicrobial use. This narrative review summarises African CDI studies, focussing on reports published in the last 20 years. Although relatively sparse, the data suggest that CDI is an important cause of diarrhoea on the continent. African CDI patient populations are often younger than in European and North American settings, probably due to the high prevalence of co-morbid conditions such as tuberculosis, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Strain typing data are rare and where reported generally limited to single sites and institutions. Despite challenges, including a lack of facilities and awareness, there is a need for further investigation to more accurately determine the true burden of disease caused by C. difficile in Africa.

DOI

10.1016/j.anaerobe.2022.102549

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