Emergence of C. difficile ribotype 955 resistant to metronidazole in Poland

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">A metronidazole-resistant Clostridioides difficile PCR ribotype 955 was reported in England in 2024. This study investigated its presence in isolates from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland and evaluated media used for resistance detection. No RT955 strains were found in Czech (2012–2023) or Slovak (2015–2023) collections, but 13 cases were identified in Poland (2021–2023). Whole-genome sequencing showed that the isolates were clonally related to a UK strain and shared similar resistance genes. All were resistant to multiple antimicrobials and carried nimB promoter and coding region mutations. Metronidazole resistance was reliably detected on haemin-supplemented media. These findings highlight the emergence of haem-dependent, metronidazole-resistant C. difficile RT955 in Poland and the need for active European surveillance.</span></p>