Title page -- Copyright page -- Contents -- Foreword. Clostridium difficile: new challenges for an old foe -- 1. Clostridium difficile infection: a global threat -- 2. Pathogenicity mechanisms of Clostridium difficile -- 3. Immunology and Clostridium difficile -- 4. The microbiome and Clostridium difficile infection -- 5. Economic burden of Clostridium difficile infection -- 6. Laboratory diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection -- 7. Conventional therapeutics for Clostridium difficile infection -- 8. Infection control issues in Clostridium difficile -- 9. Future and alternative approaches to managing Clostridium difficile infection -- Epilogue. Recent advances with Clostridium difficile -- Index.