Bile acid-mediated germination is required for virulence.

<p>Kaplan-Meier survival curve of clindamycin-treated Syrian hamsters inoculated with 1,000 spores of <i>C. difficile</i> UK1 or <i>C. difficile</i> JSC10 (<i>cspC::ermB</i>) or <i>C. difficile</i> JSC10 (<i>cspC::ermB</i>) pJS123 (p<i>cspBAC</i>). Animals showing signs of <i>C. difficile</i> infection (wet tail, poor fur coat, lethargy) were euthanized.