SCI/TECH: Lethal Bacterial Infection Becoming More Common, page 1

posted on Dec, 2 2005 @ 01:20 PM

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Infections from the lethal bacterium Clostridium difficile are becoming more common and the spread is directly related to antibiotic use. The bacterium resides in the colon and is resistant to antibiotics used against other bacteria. When these other bacteria are killed the lethal "C-diff" bacteria can then multiply enough to cause serious diarrhea and death. In one eighteen month period, "C-diff" caused some one hundred deaths in one Canadian hospital

www.cbsnews.com
A deadly bacterial illness commonly seen in people on antibiotics appears to be growing more common _ even in patients not taking such drugs, according to a report published Thursday in a federal health journal.

"I don't want to scare people away from using antibiotics. ... But it's concerning, and we need to respond," said Dr. L. Clifford McDonald, an author of both articles and an epidemiologist at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Hospitals need to be conducting surveillance and implementing control measures. And all of us need to realize the risk of antibiotic use may be increasing" as the bacteria continue to mutate, McDonald said.

The bacterium is Clostridium difficile, also known as C-diff. The germ is becoming a regular menace in hospitals and nursing homes, and last year it was blamed for 100 deaths over 18 months at a hospital in Quebec, Canada.

"What exactly has made C-diff act up right now, we don't know," McDonald said.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

The concerns over antibiotic abuse have been an ongoing topic of discussion for decades now. In Mexico, for example, the wide availability of antibiotics has alarmed epidemiologists and prompted calls for better controls. The fact that this bacterium can kill when antibiotics are administered to control other bacterial infections is even more alarming, putting physicians and patients alike "between a rock and a hard place." Fortunately, trials are underway for a new drug that will be effective against "C-diff."

Related News Links:
www.medpagetoday.com
www.foodconsumer.org
www.foodconsumer.org
www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Will antibiotics always be there for us?
The Spread of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Gulf Coast
Antibiotic abuse in pigs 'could create superbugs'
SCI/TECH: Antibiotic-Resistant Super-Staphs on the Rise

[edit on 2005/12/2 by GradyPhilpott]

soficrow

posted on Dec, 2 2005 @ 01:30 PM

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Good find Grady.

This is a HUGE problem - but it's not acknowledged officially except for the occasional blurb that sneaks past the censors.

Here are some of my own posts that deal with this issue:

Has links to a great CBC series: Super Bugs and Super Flu Overview

As Dr. Mark Miller said, "Something happened 18 to 24 months ago, ..." and now, super bugs are mutating into more virulent forms on exposure to antibiotics.

accountability

posted on Dec, 3 2005 @ 11:03 AM

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Could it be because of the special anti-bacterial soap that has been approved for use in hospitals and workplaces? Perhaps this soap reduced the individuals' immunity to decrease ? Or the bacteria becomes resistant to the soap? and becomes better adapted? Just a theory.....