TABLE 1.

Characteristics of environmental strains of Clostridium difficile isolated from maternity and surgical wards

Strain no.a	Source	Growth on:		Toxigenicity TechLab A/B resultc	Ribotyping result (spacer type)d
		TCCA	TCCBb
1	Bedrail 1	+	+	+	A
2	Basket 1	−	+	−	A
3	Sink	+	+	+	A
4	Surface of table 1	+	+	+	A
5	Basket 2	−	+	−	A
6	Wall behind radiator	+	+	+	A
7	Bedrail 2	−	+	−	D
8	Basket 3	+	+	+	A
9	Scale 1	−	+	−	A
10	Bedrail 3	+	+	−	A
11	Scale 2	+	+	+	A
12	Surface of table 2	+	+	+	A
13*	Patient's bed	−	+	+	B
14*	Stretcher	−	+	+	B
15*	Push-chair	+	+	+	B
16*	Sink	+	+	+	B
17*	Toilet	+	+	+	B
Total	17	12	17	12	A (D)/B

^aStrains 1 to 12, C. difficile strains isolated from maternity ward environment; strains 13 to 17, C. difficile strains isolated from surgical environment (marked by asterisks).

^bTCCB, 0.1% sodium taurocholate and cycloserine-cefoxitin-amphotericin B-enriched broth.

^cTechLab A/B, Clostridium difficile toxins A/B ELISA (TechLab, Blacksburg, VA).

^dAnalysis of the variations in lengths of the ribosomal intergenic spacer regions was performed by using SP1/SP2 primers and a PCR program according to the method described in reference 5.