TITLE:
Detection of Clostridium difficile TcdA and TcdB Genes in Paediatric Diarrhoeal Stools by PCR in Abidjan
AUTHORS:
Yao Gilles Privat Kouamé, Britoh Alice Mlan, Mian N. Arsher Cablan, Befiassou Perpetue Ani, Serge Joseph Lathro, Arthur Dreyfus Boka, Flore Sandrine Zaba, N’goran Eric Koffi, Denise Affoué Blassonny Guina, Touré Aissata Epse Kourouma, Aimé N’djomon, Yesse Zinzendorf Nanga, N’douba Adele Kacou
KEYWORDS:
Clostridium difficile, Children, Diarrhoea, TcdA and TcdB Genes
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Microbiology,
Vol.15 No.9,
September
5,
2025
ABSTRACT: Background: Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a major challenge in controlling the spread of virulent strains of C. difficile. However, testing for C. difficile is not part of the standard stool culture, despite the high infant diarrhoeal mortality rate in low-income countries. Hence the interest of the present study is to optimise the diagnosis of CDI using molecular biology. Objective: To detect the tcdA and tcdB genes of C. difficile in diarrhoeal stools and to identify the risk factors associated with CDI. Method: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from April to August 2021. It consisted of collecting diarrhoeal stools from children in the paediatrics department of Treichville University Hospital. Detection of the C. difficile tcdA and tcdB genes was performed by molecular biology. Results: PCR results revealed the tcdB gene in 8.3% of cases. This was the A−/B+ variant. The risk factors studied (sex, age, mode of patient admission and previous antibiotic therapy) did not allow us to establish a correlation between the risk of CDI and these factors after statistical analysis of the data collected. However, analysis of previous antibiotic treatment revealed that only flucloxacillin and metronidazole were associated with the detection of TcdB genes. Conclusion: This experimental work revealed the circulation of the virulence gene (TcdB) in strains of C. difficile isolated from the stools of children with diarrhoea.