C. diff (also known as Clostridioides difficile or C. difficile) is a germ (bacterium) that causes severe diarrhea and colitis (an inflammation of the colon).

What type of bacteria is C. diff?

C. diff is a spore-forming, Gram-positive anaerobic bacillus that produces two exotoxins: toxin A and toxin B. It is a common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) and accounts for 15 to 25% of all episodes of AAD.

Does C. diff stay in your system forever?

No, because once you recover from your C. diff infection, you could still be carrying the germs. A test would only show the germs are still there, but not whether you're likely to become sick again.