Gastrointestinal Infections

In the USA: Nearly half a million Americans suffer from Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) infections in a single year according to a study released in 2015 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Edmond Hooker, MD, DrPH, discusses how contaminated hospital mattresses act as a vector for spreading drug-resistant infections.

Dr. Richard Vickers, discusses how ridinilazole showed superior efficacy for the treatment of C. diff when compared with vancomycin in a phase 2 study.

Richard Haupt, MD, MPH, discusses what is needed to ensure that a future C. diff vaccine is adequately stocked and delivered to wherever individuals show up for vaccination.

SHEA has released expert guidance advising hospitals on when they can safely take patients with multidrug-resistant bacteria off of contact precautions.

Barley Chironda, RPN, CIC, discusses current guidance for disinfection practices against C. diff.

A recent study compares the effectiveness of a novel fidaxomicin therapy with vancomycin for the treatment of C. difficile.

Edmond Hooker, MD, DrPH, discusses the cost benefit of investing in launderable hospital mattress covers to prevent CDIs.

In case you missed them, we've compiled the top 5 articles from this past week.

Dr. Richard Vickers, explains how ridinilazole is unique in its spectrum of activity compared with other antibiotics that target C. diff and have been approved or are in development.

Richard Haupt, MD, MPH, discusses what would be required to adequately implement the delivery of a future C. diff vaccine.

Dr. Richard Vickers, explains how antibiotics used to treat C. diff also damage the microbiome.

Stay up-to-date on the latest infectious disease news by checking out our top 5 articles of the week.

The estimated global burden of the disease ranges from 11 to 20 million cases and contributes to about 128,000 to 161,000 deaths each year.

At the 5th annual international C. diff Awareness Conference and Health Expo, Dr. Edmond Hooker discussed an underreported problem in health care facilities everywhere.

Edmond Hooker, MD, DrPH, discusses the use of a launderable mattress cover to reduce C. diff rates in hospitals.

Investigators from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, have discovered that a common food additive, trehalose (an artificial sugar frequently derived from mushrooms or seaweed), can be linked with the increase and severity of outbreaks involving 2 strains of Clostridium difficile.

Richard Haupt, MD, MPH, sheds light on the Clostridium difficile Vaccine Efficacy Trial (CLOVER).

Daniel Diekema, MD, explains how clinicians can actively work to prevent pathogen spread in their health care facilities.

Dr. Richard Vickers, explains what makes ridinilazole unique.

Michael Edmond, MD, MPH, MPA, stresses that a collaborative effort is needed to control C. difficile in hospitals.

Richard Haupt, MD, MPH, discusses the process for developing a vaccine.

Richard Haupt, MD, MPH, discusses the different pharmaceutical companies’ efforts to develop a C. difficile vaccine.

Authors of a new Policy Forum suggest an alternative approach to regulating fecal microbiota transplantation.

Single-dose tinidazole is the best available treatment for giardiasis in children and adults, a new study shows.

The FDA has cleared the molecular test which is able to detect presence of the toxin within 70 minutes.