Increased sporulation rate of epidemic Clostridium difficile Type 027/NAP1

Abstract

Clostridium difficile PCR ribotype 027 comprised 0.2% of a collection of Swedish isolates in 1997-2001 (3 of 1,325 isolates). These isolates had lower moxifloxacin MICs than the epidemic type 027 isolates, but they had the same tcdC sequence and toxin yield. Type 027 produced 3- to 13-fold more toxin than did major Swedish types. One epidemic strain (027/NAP1a) sporulated more than did other type 027 isolates, a feature that should contribute to its survival and spread.