Investigating Clostridium difficile Infections across the U.S. : Emerging Infections Program \u2010 healthcare\u2010associated infections community interface activity

Clostridium difficile is a bacterium that causes diarrhea and more serious intestinal conditions. The organism is responsible for 337,000 infections and 14,000 deaths every year. C. difficile infections are almost always linked to medical care; people who take antibiotics and also receive medical care are most at risk.States have reported increased rates of C. difficile infection, noting more severe disease and an increase in mortality. Death rates due to C. difficile are highest in the elderly, however, almost half of infections occur in people younger than 65. These changes may be largely due to the emergence of a stronger C. difficile strain. This strain spread widely after first being found in early 2000s; it appears more virulent and is more resistant to antibiotics traditionally used to treat C. difficile.This project is being completed through the Emerging Infections Program, a network of state health departments and academic medical centers dedicated to improving surveillance, prevention, and control of emerging infectious diseases. EIP participants in the C. difficile project include partners from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Tennessee.201