Final answer:
Reservoirs for toxigenic Clostridium difficile include patients in hospitals, health care workers, and healthy neonates as they can all carry and potentially spread the bacteria. Therefore, the correct answer is D) all of these.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reservoirs for toxigenic Clostridium difficile include a variety of sources where the bacterium can reside and multiply. Notably, a patient in a hospital, a health care worker, and even a healthy neonate can be reservoirs for C. difficile.
In a hospital setting, patients are particularly at risk due to the potential disruption of normal microbiota from long-term antibiotic use, which can lead to the overgrowth of this bacterium. Health care workers can carry the spores on their hands and transmit them between patients. Healthy neonates can also harbor C. difficile in their gut without signs of illness but can spread the bacteria to others.
Clostridium difficile, a gram-positive rod, can be a reservoir for toxigenic strains. It is commonly found in health-care settings, making option C) a health care worker a possible reservoir. Additionally, option B) a patient in a hospital can also be a reservoir for this bacterium. Therefore, the correct answer is D) all of these.