FIG 2.

Persistence of C. difficile strains in the infantile gut microbiota. Fifteen infants were colonized by a single C. difficile strain over at least 6 months. The child ID number is indicated in the left column, and sampling occasions are indicated at the top (1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks and 6, 12, 18, and 36 months). Solid lines indicate the presence of a strain on consecutive sampling occasions; the dotted line denotes that the strain was not found on an intervening occasion. The latter situation could result from the strain being present at a level below the detection limit or result from the strain being lost and reacquired at a later time point. Dashes indicate time points at which the culture was negative for C. difficile.