Dynamics of toxigenic Clostridium perfringens colonisation in a cohort of prematurely born neonatal infants.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Clostridium perfringens forms part of the human gut microbiota and has been associated with life-threatening necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) in premature infants. Whether specific toxigenic strains are responsible is unknown, as is the extent of diversity of strains in healthy premature babies. We investigated the C. perfringens carrier status of premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit, factors influence this status, and the toxic potential of the strains.

Methods

C. perfringens was isolated by culture from faecal samples from 333 infants and their toxin gene profiles analysed by PCR. A survival analysis was used to identify factors affecting probability of carriage. Competitive growth experiments were used to explore the results of the survival anal

SUBMITTER: Shaw AG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7027286 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature