Mortality Attributable to Clostridioides difficile Infection: The Rising Burden of Disease in European Countries

: infection is a major public health issue, being among the main causes of mortality due to healthcare-associated diarrhea. This study aimed to assess the trends in mortality attributable to infections in European countries over a period of 30 years. : A descriptive epidemiological study was conducted, with the application of an ecological study design, to evaluate the trends in mortality due to infection in the Central, Eastern, and Western European sub-regions from 1990 to 2019. The Global Burden of Disease study database was used. Trends were evaluated with the joinpoint regression analysis. : In both sexes, about 76% of all deaths attributable to infections were recorded in the Western European sub-region in 2019. The age-standardized rates of the burden of infection in 2019 were the highest in the Central European sub-region, followed by the Western European sub-region, while the lowest rates were observed in the Eastern European sub-region. A significantly increasing trend in mortality attributable to infection from 1990 to 2019 was recorded both in males (by +2.1% per year) and females (by +2.8% per year). The burden of infection showed increasing trends in most of the European countries, significantly correlating with the country's development, according to the Human Development Index. : The rising burden of infection in European countries in the last few decades suggests a need for improving public health measures, with a focus both on the hospital setting and community.