Guess which organism killed 14,000 people last year- quadrupling in number in the last 10 years, and costing $1B extra in health care. Almost all the cases happen among people who recently received medical care. Ironically, antibiotics are making the problem worse, because when a person takes antibiotics, good germs that protect against infection are destroyed for several months.
The culprit is a bacteria called Clostridium difficile, and it’s the subject of this month’s CDC Vital Signs website. The site has a host of easy to understand prevention info. Check it out.
