New drug may halt spread of killer hospital bug

A new antibiotic could help stem the spread of a notorious hospital bug by preventing recurrent infections new research suggests

Almost 27000 cases of the Clostridium difficile C diff infection were reported in the UK last year In 2010 C diff caused 2704 deaths

The bug spread by poor personal hygiene mostly afflicts people with weakened immune systems and is a significant problem in hospitals and nursing homes

Up to a quarter of patients affected by C diff infection CDI become reinfected within a month of being treated

The new drug fidaxomicin works as well against C diff as the gold standard treatment vancomycin the study showed

But compared with vancomycin it more than halved the rate of recurrent infection from 269 to 127

Commenting on the findings published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal microbiologist Professor Robert Masterton said Sadly CDI remains a common problem in modern clinical practice

This new treatment fidaxomicin offers a major step forward in combating the impact of this disease



Date : 26 Mar, 2012
Reference : http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/health/new-drug-may-halt-spread-of-killer-hospital-bug-161361

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