Whole-genome sequencing improves discrimination of relapse from reinfection and identifies transmission events among patients with recurrent Clostridium difficile infections

WGS exhibits several advantages over PCR-based ribotyping in terms of its ability to distinguish relapse from reinfection, to identify patient-to-patient transmission events, and to exact fine structure characterization of recurrent CDI epidemiology. This offers the potential for more focused infection prevention strategies to eliminate strain transmission among patients with recurrent CDI.