Clostridium Difficile Selective Agar

Isolate, identify and differentiate Clostridium difficile using Thermo Scientific™ Clostridium Difficile Selective Agar, a selective medium with two key components to inhibit non-target organisms.

Selective agents D-cycloserine (500μg/mL) and cefoxitin (16μg/mL) used in the formulation inhibit growth of the majority of Enterobacteriaceae, as well as Streptococcus fecalis, staphylococci, Gram-negative non-sporing anaerobic bacilli, and Clostridium species (except Clostridium difficile), which may be found in large numbers in fecal samples.

Clostridium difficile is a toxin-producing, sporeforming anaerobic gram-positive rod, which causes gastrointestinal infections ranging in severity from asymptomatic colonization to severe diarrhea, pseudomembranous colitus (PMC), toxic megacolon, colonic perforaton, and death. A reduction of the normal microbial flora in the colon, usually caused by antibiotic therapy, allows overgrowth of C. difficile. Most pathogenic strains of C. difficile produce two toxins, toxin A (enterotoxin) and toxin B (cytotoxin), which are the main virulence factors for the organism. An emerging strain of C. difficile contains an additional binary toxin (CDT) believed to be a marker of increased virulence. This strain is missing a gene that regulates production of toxin A and B and has acquired high-level resistance to fluoroquinolone antibiotics.

Not all products are available for sale in all territories. Please inquire.

Remel™ and Oxoid™ products are now part of the Thermo Scientific brand, combining powerful manual, semi-automated and fully automated test products and a comprehensive line of media and diagnostic products to offer a complete, end-to-end solution to quickly deliver the products you need and the quality results your laboratory depends on.