Sequence-Based Identification of Metronidazole-Resistant <i>Clostridioides difficile</i> Isolates
Wiep Klaas Smits, Céline Harmanus, Ingrid M. J. G. Sanders, Lynn Bry, Grace A. Blackwell, Quinten R. Ducarmon, Eliane de Oliveira Ferreira, Ed J. Kuijper
Abstract
C lostridioides difficile is a major cause of antibiotic- associated colitis (1). Antimicrobial drug-resistant infections are a global economic and healthcare burden (2). Resistance is generally low to commonly prescribed antimicrobial drugs used for primary C. difficile infections. However, high rates of metronidazole resistance have been observed for C. difficile isolates carrying the 7-kb plasmid pCD-METRO, in particular for isolates belonging to PCR ribotype (RT) 010 and RT020 (clade 1) and the epidemic strain RT027 (clade 2) (3) (Figure This plasmid has been reported in C. difficile isolates from countries in Europe.