dangerous and sometimes lethal bacterium seems to be spreading

Nosocomial infections are those that originate or occur in a hospital or hospital-like setting." Clostridium difficile (C. difficile, C. diff) is a notorious example of what has hitherto been solely a nosocomial infectious agent.

Now C. diff may be spreading outside the hospital space. See, for example, this December 2, 2005, article in Forbes, entitled "Officials Note Outbreaks of Virulent Germ," by Amanda Gardner.

a look back at C. diff articles from EMMNN

Last fall, Etopia Media Medical News Network published several articles dealing with C. difficile and one article addressing generally the risks to human health of more-and-more powerful bio-medical technologies.

Links to these articles can be found here:

Hospital antibiotic use allows dangerous C. difficile to cause diarrhea and worse; profligate use encourages emergence of drug-resistant, more toxic versions (October 4, 2004)

Finding new ways to treat C. difficile: As Clostridium difficile bacterium ravages patients in Canadian hospitals, a new antibiotic and a new monoclonal antibody are readied to fight it, while a New Brunswick company offers an ultraviolet means of defending against this dangerous micro-organism (October 24, 2004)

Zapitall, Inc., a Canadian start-up, is now offering a means of fighting Clostridium difficile bacteria and other DNA-based pathogens using ultraviolet light (October 27, 2004)

Patients may be getting burnt, as bio-scientists play with fire (October 28, 2004)

Dr. Clifford McDonald, medical epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, updates the C. difficile story (October 29, 2004)

Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG), heavily financed by the proton pump inhibitor industry, issues a "Position Statement" largely exonerating these profitable pharmaceuticals from any blame in increasing the risk of C. difficile infections in Canada or elsewhere (October 29, 2004)

 

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