ECCMID 2016: addressing the burden of recurrent Clostridium difficile infections.

26th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), 9-12th April 2016, Amsterdam, The Netherlands The European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) is the annual scientific meeting of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology. ECCMID 2016, held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, was attended by over 11,600 clinical microbiologists and infectious disease physicians from more than 120 countries. The Congress offered an essential opportunity to learn more about the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of healthcare-associated infections, especially those caused by Clostridium difficile. Recurrent C. difficile infections have an especially serious adverse impact on patients, their families and healthcare systems across Europe and around the world, and continue to be a cause for concern among ECCMID delegates and their colleagues responsible for managing vulnerable patients in acute hospitals and other healthcare facilities.