08.01 ID
08.01 ID [PDF link] – bacterial infections: Anthrax (Woolsorter's disease, Bacillus anthracis), Bacillus cereus, Campylobacter jejuni, Brucellosis (Brucella), Botulism (Clostridium botulinum), Cat scratch disease (Bartonella henselae), Cholera (Vibrio cholerae), Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), Diphtheria (Corynebacterium diphtheriae), Enteric fever (Typhoid fever, Paratyphoid fever, Salmonella enterica Typhi), Escherichia coli (E. coli, Enterotoxigenic E.coli, Enterohaemorrhagic E.coli)
Most of the information in these pages is obtained from the following references. Where specific guidelines exist, they are linked below.
Blaser MJ, Cohen JI, Holland SM, Doi Y, Falsey AR, Garret WS, et al., editors. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s principles and practice of infectious diseases. Tenth edition. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025.
Cooke F, Moran E, editors. Oxford handbook of infectious diseases and microbiology. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 2023.
More on C. difficile
NICE guidelines NG199 covers antimicrobial prescribing in C.diff. There is also a CKS page for antibiotic-associated diarrhoea.
The UKHSA redirects to the Royal College of Pathology for guidance on investigation of faecal specimens for C.diff
This is very detailed and I don’t understand a lot of it. From what I gather though, they recommend a two-stage testing process.
From clinical experience, only test for C.diff if the patient is actually having diarrhoea. Even if a patient is “positive” on screening, treatment is not indicated unless they are symptomatic.
