C Difficile Infections Are Now Appearing Outside Hospitals
Clostridium difficile, C. difficile or C. Diff is a potentially deadly infection that had become associated with hospital patients. However, a new report by Clayton Dalton, MD and Massachusetts General Hospital, indicated that C. diff rates are rising in the community outside of health care settings which is a serious public health concern.
C. difficile is a common bacteria that are part of our natural flora and fauna. Risks increase when using antibiotics which can kill some normal and “good” gut bacteria along side treating infections. When this happens, the normal processes that prevents C. diff from spreading gets overwhelmed and the resistant strain of C. diff starts colonizing and producing toxins in the intestines. Hospitalization and health care settings also became associated with acquisition since a larger number of infected people were located in these environments.
Over the last 30 years multiple studies have increasingly shown higher and higher rates of community-acquired infections. According to the the new report traditional risk factors no longer offer a satisfactory explanation for the increase in C. diff infections.
Clostridium difficile can be transmitted through fecal matter and poor hand washing hygiene which then spreads the spores to everyday objects.
Dr. Dalton’s paper also considers other factors that could be causing the rise in these infections. One terrifying possibility is that we’re simply becoming more susceptible due to our diets and other medications which may promote Clostridium difficile growth.
Prevention for Facility Managers and Individual Home Owners
- Thorough cleaning: Spores can survive many cleaning solutions, to target Clostridium difficile effectively use a EPA Registered disinfectant for C.Diff that kills 99.9999% of C. Diff Spores.
- When you have a case in a facility or residential property please consult with an ABRA Member Company and let Bio Recovery professionals manage the mitigation.
- Consult with an adjuster for your property or home owners insurance for a determination of coverage. Proper C.Diff mitigation can be costly as the spores can easily spread or be held up on soft contents in the dwelling. This is not for a regular cleaning company, ask for ABRA third-party certification validation.
- You may want to consult with a CIH or Indoor Air Quality Professional and ask them about clearance sampling.
- Wash with Soap and Water: Alcohol based hand sanitizers are not effective, soap and water is a better solution.
- Reduce Antibiotic use: Only use antibiotics in necessary situations.