What is a major risk factor for developing C. difficile infection?

What is a major risk factor for developing C. difficile infection?

• A. Vaccination history
• B. High-fiber diet
• C. Regular exercise
• D. Antibiotic use that disrupts normal intestinal microbiota

Answer: (D)

Disruption of the normal gut microbiota by antibiotics removes the protective colonization resistance that keeps C. difficile in check. When broad-spectrum antibiotics wipe out much of the commensal bacteria, C. difficile spores can germinate, multiply, and release toxins that damage the colon, causing diarrhea and colitis. Because this loss of microbial balance directly enables C. difficile to overgrow, recent or ongoing antibiotic use is the most important risk factor for developing infection. Other factors like vaccination history, a high-fiber diet, or regular exercise don’t impair gut colonization resistance in the same way, so they’re not the primary drivers of risk. The key idea is that antibiotic-induced disruption of the gut microbiome creates the opportunity for C. difficile to overgrow and cause disease.

Disruption of the normal gut microbiota by antibiotics removes the protective colonization resistance that keeps C. difficile in check. When broad-spectrum antibiotics wipe out much of the commensal bacteria, C. difficile spores can germinate, multiply, and release toxins that damage the colon, causing diarrhea and colitis. Because this loss of microbial balance directly enables C. difficile to overgrow, recent or ongoing antibiotic use is the most important risk factor for developing infection. Other factors like vaccination history, a high-fiber diet, or regular exercise don’t impair gut colonization resistance in the same way, so they’re not the primary drivers of risk. The key idea is that antibiotic-induced disruption of the gut microbiome creates the opportunity for C. difficile to overgrow and cause disease.