Fully-Automated Sample-to-Answer C. Diff Infection Detection

What causes C. Diff infection?

C.Diff infection is caused by a bacterium known as Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile), that usually resides harmlessly in the intestines. However, when the gut’s bacterial balance is disturbed, often broad-spectrum antibiotic use, C. difficile can grow excessively and produce toxins, leading to infection.

This bacterium exists in both toxigenic and non-toxigenic forms, but only the toxigenic strains (toxins A and B) cause disease. They trigger inflammation by disrupting the intestinal epithelial cells. Toxin A is primarily an enterotoxin that damages the gut lining, increasing permeability, and attracting immune cells that release inflammatory cytokines. Toxin B, a more potent cytotoxin, targets the actin cytoskeleton of cells, leading to cell rounding, detachment, and ultimately cell death. Together, these toxins cause tissue damage and a robust immune response, which manifests as colitis, diarrhea, and in severe cases, pseudomembranous colitis—a serious inflammation of the colon.

How does C. Diff spread?

C.Diff spreads quite easily. It is present in hospitals, often found in ICUs, on the hands of hospital personnel, on hospital floors and handrails, on electronic thermometers, and other medical equipment...

Risk Factors for C. Diff Infection

• ●Long-term hospitalization;

• ●Antimicrobial therapy;

• ●Chemotherapy agents;

• ●Recent surgery (gastric sleeves,gastric bypass, colon surgery);

• ●Naso-gastric nutrition;

• ●Prior C. diff infection;

Symptoms of C. Diff infection

C. diff infection can be very uncomfortable. Most people have ongoing diarrhea and discomfort in the belly. The most common symptoms are:diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea, loss of appetite, fever.

As C. diff infection becomes more severe, there will be the development of a more complicated form of C. diff known as colitis, pseudomembranous enteritis and even death.

Diagnosis of C. Diff Infection

Bacterial Culture: Sensitive but time consuming (2-5days), cannot distinguish toxigenic and non-toxigenic strains;

Toxin Culture:identifies toxigenic strains which cause disease but time-consuming (3-5days) and less sensitive;

GDH Detection: fast(1-2hrs) and cost-effective, highly sensitive but cannot distinguish toxigenic and non-toxigenic strains;

Cell Cytotoxicity Neutralization Assay (CCNA):detects toxin A and B with high sensitivity but time consuming(2-3days), and requires specialized facilities and trained personnel;

Toxin A/B ELISA: Easy and fast test (1-2hrs) with lower sensitivity and frequent false negatives;

Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAATs): Rapid (1-3hrs) and highly sensitive & specific, detecting the genes responsible for toxin production；

Additionally, imaging tests to examine the intestines, such as CT scans and X-rays, may also be used to aid in the diagnosis of C. diff and the complications of C. diff, such as colitis.

Treatment of C. Diff infection

Many treatment options are available for C. diff infection. Below are the best options：

• ●Oral antibiotics like vancomycin, metronidazole or fidaxomicin are commonly used as the medication can pass through the digestive system and reach the colon where the C. diff bacteria reside.

• ●Intravenous metronidazole may be used for treatment if the C. diff  infection is severe.

• ●Fecal microbiota transplants have shown efficacy in treating frequent C. diff infections and severe C. diff infections that do not respond to antibiotics.

• ●Surgery may be necessary for severe cases.

Diagnostic solution from MMT

In response to the need for fast, accurate detection of C. difficile, we introduce our innovative Nucleic Acid Detection Kit for Clostridium difficile toxin A/B gene, empowering healthcare professionals to make early and accurate diagnosis and supporting the fight against hospital acquired infections.

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  ●High Sensitivity: Detects as low as 200 CFU/mL,;

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  ●Accurate Targeting: Precisely identifies the C. difficile toxin A/B gene, minimizing false positives;

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  ●Direct Pathogen Detection: Uses nucleic acid testing to directly identify toxin genes, establishing a gold standard for diagnostics.

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  ●Fully compatible with mainstream PCR instruments addressing more labs;

Sample-to-Answer Solution on Macro & Micro-Test’s AIO800 Mobile PCR Lab

 

• ●Sample-to-Answer Automation – Load original sample tubes (1.5–12 mL) directly, eliminating manual pipetting. Extraction, amplification, and detection are fully automated, reducing hands-on time and human error.

• ●Eight-Layer Contamination Protection – Directional airflow, negative pressure, HEPA filtration, UV sterilization, sealed reactions, and other integrated safeguards protect staff and ensure reliable results during high-throughput testing.

For more details:

https://www.mmtest.com/nucleic-acid-detection-kit-for-clostridium-difficile-toxin-ab-gene-fluorescence-pcr-product/

Contact us to learn more: marketing@mmtest.com;