An 18-month-old child has died at the hospital in Catanzaro. Four children from the same nursery were hospitalized, three of whom have already been discharged. Ongoing investigations hypothesize Clostridium difficile as the possible causative agent, an anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium normally present in the intestinal and vaginal bacterial flora. The hypothesis must be confirmed by the tests underway.

According to agency reports, the nursery owner suggested the possibility that the bacterium may have originated from outside the facility.

Clostridium difficile is found in feces and transmission occurs primarily through the oro-fecal route, via contact with contaminated objects or surfaces. The bacterium is able to survive in the environment for extended periods. The main preventive measures consist of thorough handwashing after using the toilet and before eating, as well as ensuring proper cleaning of bathrooms, especially when used by people with diarrhea.

The infection may present with watery diarrhea, at least three bowel movements per day for two or more consecutive days, fever, loss of appetite, nausea, and abdominal pain. In the most severe cases it can progress to colitis or pseudomembranous colitis, an inflammatory condition of the colon that can arise during or after antibiotic therapy. Some strains produce a necrotizing toxin capable of damaging the intestinal mucosa.

The risk of infection increases when the bacterium multiplies in large quantities, a condition favored by alterations in the intestinal bacterial flora, often following prolonged antibiotic treatments. Treatment is based on specific antibiotics, including metronidazole for mild forms, vancomycin, or fidaxomicin, administered orally for at least ten days. The infection can recur in approximately one in five patients.