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A novel RNA nucleic acid amplification test more accurately distinguishes active Clostridioides difficile infection from colonization

2026-02-06 infectious diseases Title + abstract only
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Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections with severity ranging from mild diarrhea to fulminant colitis and death. Current antigen tests lack adequate sensitivity and DNA-based nucleic acid amplification tests (DNA-NAATs) exhibit limited specificity for active infection, leading to either underdiagnosis or inappropriate treatment of colonized individuals. Unlike DNA, mRNA is expressed only by metabolically active bacteria and is rapidly hydrolyzed, pro...

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