The effect of hospital biocide sodium dichloroisocyanurate on the viability and properties of Clostridium difficile spores

Joshi, Lovleen Tina, Welsch, Angelina, Hawkins, Jennifer and Baillie, Les ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8186-223X 2017. The effect of hospital biocide sodium dichloroisocyanurate on the viability and properties of Clostridium difficile spores. Letters in Applied Microbiology 65 (3) , pp. 199-205. 10.1111/lam.12768

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Abstract

Clostridium difficile is the primary cause of healthcare associated diarrhoea globally and produces spores which are resistant to commonly used biocides and are able persist on contaminated surfaces for months. This study examined the effect of sublethal concentrations of the biocide sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) on the viability of spores produced by 21 clinical isolates of C. difficile representing a range of PCR ribotypes. Spores exposed to 500 ppm NaDCC for 10 minutes exhibited between a 4 – 6 log10 reduction in viability which was independent of spore PCR ribotype. The effect of sublethal concentrations of biocide on the surface properties of exosporium positive and negative clinical isolates was determined using a spore adhesion to hydrocarbon assay. These isolates differed markedly in their responses suggesting that exposure to biocide can have a profound effect on hydrophobicity and thus the ability of spores to adhere to surfaces. This raises the intriguing possibility that sublethal exposure to NaDCC could inadvertently promote the spread of the pathogen in healthcare facilities.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Pharmacy
Subjects:	R Medicine > RS Pharmacy and materia medica
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Clostridium difficile ; spores; viability; biocide; sublethal; transmission
Publisher:	Wiley
ISSN:	0266-8254
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	27 June 2017
Date of Acceptance:	27 May 2017
Last Modified:	15 Nov 2023 18:54
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/101790

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