Particularly perilousClostridium difficile strains are now potentially easier to detect, thanks to expanded reporting of binary toxin (CDT) gene presence with a molecular test for C. difficilefrom CEPHEID.
The presence of binary toxin-producingC. difficilehas been linked to increased disease severity, mortality and disease recurrence. In addition, strains of C. difficilehave been documented that appear to cause disease when they are negative for the well known toxins A and B but positive for binary toxin. With the addition of Xpert C. difficileBT, Cepheid continues to offer one of the most comprehensive molecular C. difficiletest portfolios on the market.
“Binary toxin (CDT) is associated with more severe C. difficileinfection (CDI),” says Thomas V. Riley, Ph.D. and microbiology professor at The University of Western Australia. “In addition, CDT has been linked to an increase in the prevalence of community-acquired CDI, a high rate of recurrent CDI, and the need for hospital admission due to reinfection. The detection of strains of C. difficilewith the ability to produce CDT will provide valuable prognostic information.”
