Occurrence of toxigenic Clostridium difficile in edible bivalve molluscs

► Feed filtering molluscs concentrate pathogenic microorganisms occurring in seawater. ► Bivalve molluscs accumulate pathogens of human and animal origin. ► A high number of molluscs analyzed was contaminated with Clostridium difficile. ► Fifty eight % of the isolated C. difficile strains was toxigenic. ► Seafood could represent a potential source of exposure to toxigenic C. difficile.