The EPA recently announced the availability of test methods for evaluating the efficacy of antimicrobial pesticides against Clostridium difficile, an anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium and a frequent cause of hospital-acquired infections. The EPA’s newest announcement includes regulatory guidance for companies manufacturing products that claim to control against the bacterium.

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act requires companies seeking to register antimicrobial products with a public health claim to submit efficacy data to the EPA in support of the product’s registration. The EPA solicited comments regarding its proposed test methods and regulatory guidance regarding Clostridium difficile in December 2016, and the EPA continues to work with ASTM International on adoption of the proposed test methods as official ASTM standards.

The EPA’s Clostridium difficile test methods and guidance will aid registrants of antimicrobial pesticide products claiming to be effective in controlling against Clostridium difficile spores on hard, non-porous surfaces. Affected companies can access the test methods and guidance here, while the EPA’s responses to comments and other documents associated with its action can be accessed here.