Question

The bacterium Clostridium difficile can lead to acute diarrheal disease and chronic inflammation in the colon known as colitis. Although it can be isolated from feces, the colon harbors more microorganisms than any other site in the human body. In order to culture C. difficile the following media should be used.

Answer 1

• ANAEROBIC CULTURE      =         CCFA(Cyclosporin, cefoxitin, fructose agar )
• A selective and differential medium
• Very sensitive, but doesnot differentiate beteen toxin and non- toxin strains
• Prior to use , reduce the plates for a minimum of 24 hours, by placing them in an anaerobic jar at room temperature.
• Inoculate specimens for anaerobic culture on this media
• Examination shos 4mm colonies appearing as yellow and ground class-like and have filamentous edge, the odor associated with the colonies is very distinct and typically like elephant or horse manure.
• shows colonies under long wave ultraviolet light for yellow fluorescence.
• Colonies of C.difficile growing on CCFA had distinctive morphological and fluorescent properties which were sufficient for presumptive identification.