Abstract
In June 2016, Lawson et al. Proposed and published Clostridium difficile reclassification of Clostridioides difficile.
The reason was Clostridium Clostridium definition only for Clostridium butyricum (rRNA cluster I, now Clostridium sensu stricto). Based on the phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA sequences, Clostridium difficile falls into the cluster XI rRNA, including other bacterial species of the Peptostreptococcaceae family.
Clostridium difficile within this family exhibits 94.7% identity in the analyzed sequences of the 16S rRNA gene with Clostridium mangentitii. The observed match is sufficient for inclusion in the same genus of Clostridioides.
The proposed reclassification (from Clostridium difficile to Clostridioides difficile) would allow the preservation of already existing abbreviations (eg CDI - Clostridium difficile infection) as opposed to the recently proposed renaming of Peptoclostridium difficile in 2013 by Yutin and Galperin. Molecular methods provide a deeper understanding of the phylogenetic relationship of bacteria.
However, it remains a question of the extent to which it is necessary to reflect this new knowledge and the current taxonomic adjustments to reflect it for the needs of clinical microbiology. Early practice shows that the label Clostridium difficile is still valid and used in both scientific publications and ESCCD (ESCMID Study Group for Clostridium difficile).
For these reasons, it can not be expected that in the foreseeable future, as part of laboratory diagnostics, as well as clinical practice, there has been a widespread increase in the proposed taxonomic change.