Clostridioides difficile, better known as C. diff, is large problem. C. diff is 1 of 5 microorganisms on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s Urgent Threat List, the top category of antibiotic-resistant threats to human health. With 223,900 estimated cases in hospitalized patients in 2017, and 12,800 deaths, C. diff infection is the most prevalent infection caused by the Urgent Threat List members.

November is C. diff awareness month. This makes November a great time to highlight the many research efforts going into not only treating but also diagnosing this terrible disease. I spoke with Colleen Kraft, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. Kraft is the lead author of a recent meta-analysis study on best diagnostic tests for C. diff infection.

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• Clinical & Public Health Microbiology
• Podcast

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