Abstract：
This narrative review summarizes literature on C. difficile and C. difficile infections (CDI) that emerged from Latin America (LA) between 1984 and 2021. The revised information includes papers in English, Spanish, or Portuguese that were retrieved from the databases Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scielo, and Lilacs. Information is presented chronologically and segregated in subregions, focusing on clinical presentation, risk factors, detection and typing methods, prevalence and incidence rates, circulating strains, and, when available, phenotypic traits, such as antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Studies dealing with cases, clinical aspects of CDI, and performance evaluations of diagnostic methods predominated. However, they showed substantial differences in case definitions, measuring units, populations, and experimental designs. Although a handful of autochthonous strains were identified, predominantly in Brazil and Costa Rica, the presentation and epidemiology of CDI in LA were highly comparable to what has been reported in other regions of the world. Few laboratories isolate and type this bacterium and even less generate whole genome sequences or perform basic science on C. difficile. Less than ten countries lead academic productivity on C. difficile or CDI-related topics, and information from various countries in Central America and the Caribbean is still lacking. The review ends with a global interpretation of the data and recommendations to further develop and consolidate this discipline in LA.
摘要：
这篇叙述性综述总结了1984年至2021年间从拉丁美洲（LA）出现的艰难梭菌和艰难梭菌感染（CDI）的文献。修订后的信息包括英文论文，西班牙语,或从Pubmed数据库检索的葡萄牙语，Scopus,WebofScience,谷歌学者，Scielo,还有紫丁香.信息按时间顺序排列，分区域分开提供，专注于临床表现，危险因素，检测和分型方法，患病率和发病率，循环菌株，and,当可用时,表型性状，如抗菌敏感性模式。处理案件的研究，CDI的临床方面，诊断方法的性能评价占主导地位。然而,它们在案例定义上表现出实质性的差异，测量单位,人口,和实验设计。尽管发现了少数本地菌株，主要在巴西和哥斯达黎加，LA中CDI的表现和流行病学与世界其他地区的报道高度可比.很少有实验室分离和分型这种细菌，甚至更少地产生全基因组序列或对艰难梭菌进行基础科学。不到十个国家在艰难梭菌或CDI相关主题上领先学术生产力，中美洲和加勒比各国的信息仍然缺乏。审查以对数据的全球解释和建议结束，以进一步发展和巩固洛杉矶的这一学科。
