A Deadly Germ Unleashed by Antibiotics

For years, health officials have sounded the alarm about overuse of antibiotics and the emergence of so-called “superbugs” that resist treatment. But the spread of a deadly germ linked with antibiotic use shows just how immediate the threat really is.

The culprit is Clostridium difficile, a bacteria that can cause life-threatening infection, diarrhea and stomach pain. What is so frightening about C. difficile is that it is typically triggered by a round of antibiotic use. In addition to killing the targeted infections, antibiotics wipe out beneficial bacteria, which can make a body more vulnerable to C. difficile infection.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/a-deadly-germ-unleashed-by-antibiotics/

Stomach Bug Crystallizes a Threat From Antibiotics

Earlier this year, Harold and Freda Mitchell of Como, Miss., both came down with a serious stomach bug. At first, doctors did not know what was wrong, but the gastrointestinal symptoms became so severe that Mrs. Mitchell, 66, was hospitalized for two weeks. Her husband, a manufacturing supervisor, missed 20 days of work.

A local doctor who had worked in a Veterans Affairs hospital recognized the signs of Clostridium difficile, a contagious and potentially deadly bacterium. Although the illness is difficult to track, health officials estimate that in the United States the bacteria cause 350,000 infections each year in hospitals alone, with tens of thousands more occurring in nursing homes. While the majority of cases are found in health care settings, 20 percent or more may occur in the community. The illness kills an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people annually.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/health/14well.html?_r=1&ref=health