New Superbug Surpasses MRSA Infection Rates in Community Hospitals

While prevention methods appear to be helping to lower hospital infection rates from MRSA, a deadly antibiotic-resistant bacterium, a new superbug is on the rise, according to research from the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network.

New data shows infections from Clostridium difficile are surpassing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in community hospitals.

“We found that MRSA infections have declined steadily since 2005, but C. difficile infections have increased since 2007,” said Becky Miller, MD, an infectious diseases fellow at Duke University Medical Center.

C. difficile is a multi-drug resistant bacterium that causes diarrhea and in some cases life-threatening inflammation of the colon. The infections are currently treated with one of two antibiotics. But relapses are common and occur in one-quarter of patients despite treatment, according to Miller.

“This is not a nuisance disease,” said Daniel Sexton, MD, director of the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network (DICON). “A small percentage of patients with C. difficile may die, despite treatment. Also, it is likely that the routine use of alcohol-containing hand cleansers to prevent infections from MRSA does not simultaneously prevent infections due to C. difficile.”

Miller and her team evaluated data from 28 hospitals in DICON, a collaboration between Duke and 39 community hospitals located in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

via New Superbug Surpasses MRSA Infection Rates in Community Hospitals - DukeHealth.org.

Avoid babies:

Clostridium difficile is a spore forming bacterium which is present as one of the 'normal' bacteria in the gut of up to 3% of healthy adults. It is much more common in babies - up to two thirds of infants may have Clostridium difficile in the gut, where it rarely causes problems. People over the age of 65 years are more susceptible to contracting infection. - http://www.cdiff-support.co.uk/about.htm