Clostridium difficile

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News story from the Washington Post regarding the rapidly spreading problem of

Clostridium difficile, which is

becoming more dangerous due to mutation because of the overuse of antibiotics.

" This may well be another

consequence of our use of antibiotics, " said Bartlett, an infectious

disease expert at s Hopkins

University in Baltimore. " It's another example of an organism that all of the

sudden has gotten a lot meaner and

nastier. "

In addition, new evidence released last week suggests that the enormous

popularity of powerful new heartburn drugs

may also be playing a role. The antibiotics Flagyl & vancomycin still may cure

select many patients but others

develop stubborn infections that take over lives. The December 8 issue of the

New England Journal of Medicine had

a report by the CDC with an analysis of 188 samples of Clostridium & found that

the unusually dangerous strain

caused outbreaks at eight health care facilities in Georgia, Illinois, Maine,

New Jersey, Oregon & Pennsylvania.

Serious outbreaks are also occurring in other countries.

Scientists have found that the dangerous strain has mutated to become resistant

to antibiotics known as

fluoroquinolones. That means anyone taking those antibiotics for other reasons

would be particularly prone to

contract Clostridium difficile.

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