#c. diff

Named from the Greek kloster, for spindle, a class of bacteria known as Clostridia abounds in nature.

Staining deep violet under the microscope, they appear as slender rods with a bulge at one end, like a tadpole or maple seed. They thrive in soil, marine sediments and humans. They live on our skin and in our intestines.

And sometimes, they can kill you.

Most strains are harmless, but tetanus, botulism and gangrene are caused by clostridial species. Vaccination, sanitation and improved medical care have made these infections less common, but one variety has been difficult to contain.

Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, can cause diarrhea and a life-threatening infection of the intestines. The bug was associated with nearly 30,000 deaths in 2011.

First seen as a problem mainly confined to hospitals and nursing homes, research suggests C. diff rates in the community are on the rise, and that traditional risk factors may no longer tell the whole story.

Dangerous Infection Tied To Hospitals Now Becoming Common Outside Them

Do You Have the Right Stuff to Be a Stool Donor?

Wanted: fecal matter from healthy adults with a regular constitution and a good heart. Screening is rigorous. Reimbursement is modest but can add up for those willing to make daily donations of waste that would otherwise be flushed away.

Fecal transplants are being used increasingly to treat Clostridium difficile, an often intractable and debilitating bacterial infection. The potential for expanding the therapeutic applications of fecal transplants sent Canadian researchers on a quest to pinpoint what precisely motivates stool donors and how they might recruit more volunteers.

Read more: http://bit.ly/2tOuDyq

Staying True to Their Identity, Chipotle Launches New Foodborne-Illness Menu

http://gomerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Chipotle-Infections-2-e1499879951401.jpg

DENVER, CO - Chipotle admittedly had a rough 2016 but was surprised to see its customers stay loyal to the brand.  Realizing they can really get away with anything, Chipotle has released its new foodborne-illness menu, advertising that it is "Reasonably Contagious."  Gomerblog has tried them all...

Read more on http://gomerblog.com/2017/07/chipotle-foodborne-illness-menu/?utm_source=TR&utm_campaign=DIRECT

Go hygiene!

C. Diff Infections Are Falling, Thanks To Better Cleaning And Fewer Antibiotics

The risk of getting a deadly, treatment-resistant infection in a hospital or nursing home is dropping for the first time in decades, thanks to new guidelines on antibiotic use and stricter cleaning standards in care facilities.

The rate of new Clostridium difficile or C. diff infections climbed year after year from 2000 to 2010, researchers found. But an early look at 2011-2014 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infections Program suggests infection rates are improving.

"Preliminary analyses suggest a 9 to 15 percent decrease in health care [C. diff] incidence nationally," says Dr. Alice Guh, a medical officer at the CDC. "It's very encouraging, but there's still a lot to do."

1. Risk factor is being 65 years or older, glad I don’t have to worry about this germ attacking me for at least 48 more years (Yes, I did the math... with a calculator). 

1. This is a fantastic read, please drop what you’re are doing and order this book right now if haven’t yet read it. 

2. Davis (you should know who this is, if you followed my instructions) has a blog where he writes deeply inspiring thoughts. I would also like to share my random thoughts, questionable whether they are deep or inspiring.