Wild mice in and around the city of Utrecht, the Netherlands, are carriers of Clostridium difficile but not ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonella spp. or MRSA.

This study shows that mice in buildings can carry Clostridium difficile ribotypes that are associated with clinical disease in humans. Whether the mice are the source or whether they picked up these bacteria from the human environment has not been investigated. Either way, mouse droppings in the indoor environment are a hazard for transmission of C. difficile to humans.