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.

Structure of most lethal toxin produced by C. difficile bacteria identified

Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and their colleagues have identified the structure of the most lethal toxin produced by certain strains of Clostridium difficile bacteria, a potentially deadly infection associated with the use of antibiotics. The

2 Jan 2020

Discovery in C. difficile biology opens new window to developing treatments for dangerous infections

A process called sporulation that helps the dangerous bacterium Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) to survive inhospitable conditions and spread is regulated by epigenetics, factors that affect gene expression beyond the DNA genetic code, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report.

25 Nov 2019

Researchers turn to older treatment methods for new health challenges

The last thing anyone wants during a stay in the hospital is a hospital-acquired infection. Nosocomial infections, as they are called, are on the rise as more pathogens become resistant to drugs currently available.

21 Nov 2019

Caution: blood infections traced to probiotics

Probiotics aren’t harmless, says a new study published on November 7, 2019 in the journal Nature Medicine. In fact, some patients may be put at serious risk by the bacteria in probiotics. Doctors should weigh the risks of probiotics in severely ill or immunocompromised patients before prescribing them, as their benefits may be significantly smaller than the danger in such situations.

13 Nov 2019

Antibiotic treatment can cause transient and long-term disruption of gut microbes

Trillions of microbes in the intestine aid human health, including digestion of breast milk, breaking down fiber and helping control the immune system.

22 Oct 2019

UA researcher focuses on preventing health-care-associated infections

On any given day in the United States, about 1 in 31 hospital patients has at least one health-care-associated infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

16 Oct 2019

Researchers identify an immune cell that helps keep time in the gut

As people go through their daily and nightly routines, their digestive tracts follow a routine, too: digesting food and absorbing nutrients during waking hours, and replenishing worn-out cells during sleep. Shift work and jet lag can knock sleep schedules and digestive rhythms out of whack.

4 Oct 2019

Move to single-patient rooms reduced rates of hospital-acquired infections

The move to single-patient rooms at the McGill University Health Centre's Glen site in 2015 resulted in significantly reduced rates of hospital-acquired infections, suggests a study published today in the highly respected journal JAMA: Internal Medicine published by the American Medical Association.

21 Aug 2019

Study explores if fecal transplants can improve outcomes in melanoma patients

A multidisciplinary team at Lawson Health Research Institute is exploring whether fecal transplants can improve outcomes in melanoma patients treated with immunotherapy.

19 Aug 2019

A newly-emerging species of C. difficile highly adapted to spread in hospitals

Scientists have discovered that the gut-infecting bacterium Clostridium difficile is evolving into two separate species, with one group highly adapted to spread in hospitals.

12 Aug 2019

Removing bacterial armor could be new way to fight anthrax

A new study led by Dr. Antonella Fioravanti in the lab of Prof. Han Remaut (VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology) has shown that removing the armor of the bacterium that causes anthrax slows its growth and negatively affects its ability to cause disease.

16 Jul 2019

New study uncovers 3D structure of toxin responsible for C. diff infection

A new study, led by researchers from the University of California, Irvine, uncovers the long-sought-after, three-dimensional structure of a toxin primarily responsible for devastating Clostridium difficile infection.

16 Jul 2019

Warning issued by FDA after patient dies following fecal transplant

A warning from the U.S FDA was issued yesterday after a patient died due to receiving a fecal transplant that contained drug-resistant bacteria.

14 Jun 2019

New research provides welcomed news for countless patients taking PPIs

For patients taking proton pump inhibitors to treat gastroesophageal disease (GERD) or other acid-related conditions, new research puts safety concerns to rest.

7 Jun 2019

Stool transplant found safe and effective in children with C. difficile infections

Fecal microbiota transplant, or the transfer of stool from a healthy donor to a patient, has been found highly effective in reversing severe Clostridiodes difficile diarrheal infections in adults.

16 May 2019

United Nations sounds alarm bell on drug-resistant infections

According to a new report from a United Nations Committee, antibiotic resistance levels are at an all time high and are the reason behind common infections becoming difficult to treat.

30 Apr 2019

Feces transplantation is effective and provides economic benefits

Healthy donor feces is a life-saving therapy. In addition, the treatment provides huge cost savings. When used in the right intestines, feces transplantations saves at least USD 1.2 million (EUR 1.1 million) each time fifty patients are treated for the deadly diarrhea infection Clostridium difficile at a public hospital.

24 Apr 2019

New study provides better understanding on safety of deworming programs

A new study has identified no major differences between the microbiomes of people infected with roundworm or hookworm and uninfected peers.

23 Apr 2019

Antibiotics and PPIs may increase risk of infectious diarrhea in children

Prior antibiotic exposure and use of acid suppressing medications known as proton pump inhibitors may increase the risk for hospitalized children to contract dangerous Clostridioides difficile infections, according to a study published today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

8 Mar 2019