Inactivation of Spores and Vegetative Forms of Clostridioides difficile by Chemical Biocides: Mechanisms of Biocidal Activity, Methods of Evaluation, and Environmental Aspects

Abstract

Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) are the most common cause of acquired diseases in hospitalized patients. Effective surface disinfection, focused on the inactivation of the spores of this pathogen, is a decisive factor in reducing the number of nosocomial cases of CDI infections. An efficient disinfection procedure is the result of both the properties of the biocidal agent used and the technology of its implementation as well as a reliable, experimental methodology for assessing the activity of the biocidal active substance based on laboratory models that adequately represent real clinical conditions. This study reviews the state of knowledge regarding the properties and biochemical basis of the action mechanisms of sporicidal substances, with emphasis on chlorine dioxide (ClO2). Among the analyzed biocides, in addition to ClO2, active chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, and glutaraldehyde were characterized. Due to the relatively high sporicidal effectiveness and effective control of bacterial biofilm, as well as safety in a health and environmental context, the use of ClO2 is an attractive alternative in the control of nosocomial infections of CD etiology. In terms of the methods of assessing the biocidal effectiveness, suspension and carrier standards are discussed.

Infection prevention and tissue repair in skin lesions using treatments based on a chlorine dioxide solution: case studies

“…This property of CD suggests that when used against a possible melanoma, the solution could promote renewal of skin tissue, and thus reduce abnormal malignant cell development. Well, it has been shown that CD oxidizes proteins, by interacting with cysteine residues, tryptophan and tyrosine [39][40][41][42] . Therefore, doses of 3,000 ppm of CD have high oxidative stress indices and deplete reserves of the antioxidant glutathione, thus inducing selective apoptosis 1,43,44 .…”

Bioengineered Probiotics: Synthetic Biology Can Provide Live Cell Therapeutics for the Treatment of Foodborne Diseases

“…Several of these are well known human pathogens including C. tetani, C. difficile and C. perfringens and can induce disease in humans and agricultural animals ( Popoff and Bouvet, 2009 ; Onderdonk and Garrett, 2020 ). The ability of these organisms to form spores that are resistant to heat and many common cleaning agents makes them challenging to control ( Augustyn et al, 2022 ). C. perfringens is common within ecosystems and frequents the gastrointestinal tracts of livestock and poultry ( Abudabos et al, 2019 ; Bai et al, 2020 ).…”