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DISTRIBUTION OF CLOSTRIDIOIDES DIFFICILE RIBOTYPES ISOLATED FROM PATIENTS IN NORTH MACEDONIA - UPDATE

Authors

  • Kiril Mihajlov Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Medical Faculty, "Ss. Cyril and Methodius" University, Skopje, North Macedonia
  • Tatjana Grdanoska Institute of Microbiolgy and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
  • Elena Dokic Trajkovska Institute of Microbiolgy and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia

Keywords:

Clostridioides difficile, PCR ribotyping, North Macedonia

Abstract

As one of the major hospital pathogens Clostridioides difficile strains are constantly a subject of typing. PCR ribotyping is the standard molecular typing method for this bacterium in Europe.

The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of C. difficile ribotypes isolated from patients in North Macedonia.

Eighty isolates of C. difficile, isolated from fecal samples being sent to the Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology in Skopje in the period from 2016 to 2020 in order to diagnose C. difficile infection, were included.

PCR ribotyping was performed by using primers and protocols described by Bidet. The final determination of the ribotypes was done by using the software BioNumerics.

We determined the presence of 20 ribotypes. The most common ribotype was 001/072 represented with 32 (40%) isolates, followed by 014/020 represented with 10 (12,5%) isolates and ribotypes 002, 017 and 027 represented by 5 (6,2%) isolates each. All other ribotypes were represented by less than 4 isolates. All ribotype 001/072 isolates originated from patients of the “Mother Teresa” Clinical Center.

Unlike in most of the European countries where the hypervirulent ribotype 027 is the dominant one, for a prolonged period of time 001/072 has been the dominant C. difficile ribotype isolated from patients in our country. Considering that most of the isolates of this ribotype had originated from Surgical and Internal Diseases Clinics in the “Mother Teresa” Clinical Center, we might assume that it is the endemic C. difficile strain there.

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Published

2023-06-16

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Vol. 3 No. 2 (2023): Acad Med J

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Original Articles