Superbug causes 12 deaths in UK Stoke Mandeville Hospital

Main Category: MRSA / Drug Resistance
Article Date: 07 Jun 2005 - 11:00 PDT

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12 people have died as a result of being infected with a superbug called Clostridium Difficile. 300 patients have been infected in the hospital during the last year and a half. This bacteria is different from MRSA in that it can be overcome with antibiotics.

Patients infected with Clostridium Difficile come down with severe diarrhoea. All the patients who died were elderly, most of them over 80. An expert microbiologist, Paul Gillett, has resigned after trying for a long time to get people to take the bug seriously.

What is Clostridium difficile?

Clostridium difficile [klo-STRID-ee-um dif-uh-SEEL] is a bacterium that causes diarrhea and more serious intestinal conditions such as colitis.

What are the symptoms of Clostridium difficile disease?

Symptoms include:

-- watery diarrhea (at least three bowel movements per day for two or more days)

-- fever

-- loss of appetite

-- nausea

-- abdominal pain/tenderness

How is Clostridium difficile disease treated?

Clostridium difficile is generally treated for 10 days with antibiotics prescribed by your healthcare provider. The drugs are effective and appear to have few side-effects.

How do people get Clostridium difficile disease?

People in good health usually don't get Clostridium difficile disease. People who have other illnesses or conditions requiring prolonged use of antibiotics and the elderly are at greater risk of acquiring this disease. The bacteria are found in the feces. People can become infected if they touch items or surfaces that are contaminated with feces and then touch their mouth or mucous membranes. Healthcare workers can spread the bacteria to other patients or contaminate surfaces through hand contact. CONTINUES.... www.cdc.gov

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