Clostridium Difficile News and Research

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Clostridium difficile is a type of bacterium found in human and animal waste. Clostridium difficile is a common cause of diarrhea that occurs in hospitals. It can also cause diarrhea or other intestinal disorders in patients treated with antibiotics.

Monitoring adherence to mandatory hand-washing protocols can help stop outbreaks of C. diff bacteria

Just like intelligence agents watching for the real terrorists threatening to attack, monitoring healthcare worker adherence to mandatory hand-washing protocols via hand-washing squads in hospitals can go a long way to stop outbreaks of the opportunistic C. diff bacteria, says Irena Kenneley, an infection prevention and control expert and assistant professor of nursing from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University.

20 May 2011

ViroPharma commences VP 20621 Phase 2 study for prevention of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection

ViroPharma Incorporated today announced initiation of a Phase 2 dose-ranging clinical study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of VP 20621 for prevention of recurrence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in adults previously treated for CDI.

20 May 2011

Gut bacteria influences brain chemistry and behaviour: Research

For the first time, researchers at McMaster University have conclusive evidence that bacteria residing in the gut influence brain chemistry and behaviour.

18 May 2011

Two DIFICID Phase 3 trial data in C. difficile infection presented at AGS Annual Meeting

Optimer Pharmaceuticals today announced the presentation of an additional analysis of data from the company's two Phase 3 clinical trials of DIFICID, an investigational antibiotic for the treatment of Clostridium difficile Infection, at the American Geriatric Society (AGS) Annual Meeting held in National Harbor, Maryland.

13 May 2011

ViroPharma, Halozyme sign license deal to develop Cinryze against hereditary angioedema

Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. and ViroPharma Incorporated, today announced the signing of a worldwide exclusive licensing agreement for the use of rHuPH20 in the development of a subcutaneous formulation of Cinryze .

12 May 2011

Two DIFICID Phase 3 trial data in C. difficile presented at DDW conference

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the presentation of two abstracts at the 2011 Digestive Disease Week conference highlighting additional analyses of data from Phase 3 trials of DIFICID, an investigational product for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection.

11 May 2011

Two DIFICID Phase 3 study data in C. difficile presented at ECCMID conference

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the presentation of two abstracts at the 21st European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases conference in Milan, Italy highlighting additional analyses of the Phase 3 data of DIFICID for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection.

11 May 2011

3M introduces Clean-Trace Hygiene Management System for healthcare facilities

As part of its effort to offer a wide range of environmental hygiene solutions for healthcare facilities, 3M Infection Prevention today announced its 3M™ Clean-Trace™ Hygiene Management System. This solution is designed to help hospitals assess the cleanliness of a surface and validate the efficacy of cleaning protocols and worker performance in less than one minute

11 May 2011

FDA clears Meridian's new C. difficile immunoassay

Meridian Bioscience, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio today announced that it has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a new Clostridium difficile immunoassay named Premier C. difficile GDH.

11 May 2011

AGA's cutting-edge research on GI disorders to be presented at DDW 2011

Clinicians, researchers and scientists from around the world will gather for Digestive Disease Week- 2011, the largest and most prestigious gastroenterology meeting, from May 7-10, 2011, at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL.

7 May 2011

Spotlight on the NDM-1 “superbug” highlights the long-standing but increasingly alarming situation of antibiotic resistance globally

At the world’s largest conference on infectious diseases – the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) which opens today – a special Symposium on NMD-1 (New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase) will focus on the implications of the increasing detection of this gene, which makes bacteria highly resistant to almost all known antibiotics. This is part of an alarming trend of antibiotic resistance that threatens to turn back the clock on years of progress following the discovery of antimicrobials, which revolutionised human health globally.

6 May 2011

Quest Diagnostics' Simplexa C. difficile test is now available in Europe

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, today announced the availability in Europe of the Simplexa C. difficile Universal Direct test on the 3M Integrated Cycler.

From Quest Diagnostics 6 May 2011

Fecal transplant procedures performed at Sinai Hospital

Sudhir Dutta, M.D., head of the Division of Gastroenterology at Sinai Hospital, performed fecal transplant procedures for two patients with severe clostridium difficile (C. difficile) colitis that did not respond to routine antibiotic and other treatments. C. difficile causes symptoms ranging from mild diarrhea to more serious, sometimes life threatening colon inflammation.

5 May 2011

SBS explores ‘superbugs’ on Insight Tuesday 10th May

Since the discovery of penicillin in the early twentieth century, antibiotics have fought infections and diseases that were once life threatening. But over time, many bacteria have become resistant to these drugs and patients are increasingly at risk.

3 May 2011

Germ Genie is also effective against C.difficile infection

Scientists at the University of Hertfordshire, who proved the effectiveness of Germ Genie, a tool to prevent infections from keyboards, have now found that it can kill C.difficile.

3 May 2011

Leeds hospitals fined over levels of superbug related cases

According to latest figures the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) superbug cases are again above allowed levels at Leeds hospitals and the hospitals are now facing a fine of £500,000 over failure to tackle the bug. As reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post earlier this year, every month that the number of MRSA cases exceeds a target agreed by health bosses, a fine of £100,000 is levied. Between April last year and the end of January, the target was breached four times.

3 May 2011

ViroPharma reports net sales of $127 million for first quarter 2011

ViroPharma Incorporated reported today its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2011.

28 Apr 2011

Salix Pharmaceuticals receives three U.S. patents relating to rifaximin

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued three patents relating to rifaximin.

21 Apr 2011

IBD patients at greater risk of death if infected with Clostridium difficile

Patients admitted to hospital with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) face a sixfold greater risk of death if they become infected with Clostridium difficile, a new study has found. The researchers say IBD patients should be screened on admission to protect them from serious illness.

20 Apr 2011

New in vitro study results show that wound dressing with ionic silver kills strains of highly-resistant bacteria

ConvaTec, a world-leading developer and marketer of innovative medical technologies for community and hospital care, today announced new in vitro study results showing that a wound dressing containing ionic silver is able to kill several strains of highly-resistant bacteria, commonly referred to as 'superbugs.'

16 Apr 2011