In hospitals, one of the world’s most lethal superbugs is rife, yet you’ve probably never heard of it.
Clostridium Difficile, generally known as C. Diff, is a gut-loving bacterium. In fact, it infects nearly every newborn. The current explanation for this phenomena is that infants presumably have “sterile” intestines, meaning that C. diff has no competition. A newborn is exposed to the bacterium through environmental pollution. Seventy percent of infants have it in their intestines, then expel it after two years.
C. difficile can affect anyone, not only infants. It is believed that infants are immune to its poisons because they lack the cell receptors to which the toxin binds. However, adults have no such luck. However, if you were exposed to the bacterium as an infant, you will do better as an adult.
When illness or medications diminish our usual gut flora, C. diff arrives. It can result in an infection of the large intestine, with symptoms including diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, and even death.
More spores, the better
Due to their endospores, C. diff infections are prevalent and difficult to remove in hospitals. Similar to a bacterial space suit, endospores shield the bacterium against harsh environments and low nutrition levels.
Tom Riley is a public health professor at the University of Western Australia. The majority of his career has been devoted to comprehending these superbugs.
Tom states that [bacterial endospores] are extremely resistant to standard disinfectants.
In addition to being difficult to kill, C. diff is developing resistance to numerous conventional medications. Half of the C. diff bacteria recovered from Washington patients aged 1 to 4 were resistant to an antibiotic. About 13% exhibited multiple medication resistance.
Drug-resistant ‘superbugs’
Antibiotics are essential in the treatment of infections. However, our over usage of broad-spectrum antibiotics makes our stomachs susceptible to infection.
Tom claims that antibiotics are more of an issue in terms of generating sickness than curing it.
“If your gut flora is normal, you are immune to illness.”
Cephalosporins are a class of antibiotics with a broad spectrum of activity. They function by interfering with the penicillin-binding proteins of bacterial cells. These proteins serve as cell wall adhesives. The bacterial cell disassembles and the bacterium perishes in their absence.
In addition to destroying gut flora, cephalosporins are also related with C. diff infection. Without competing microorganisms in the gut, C. diff can flourish. The widespread use of cephalosporins as antibiotics has altered the locations of human infections.
Tom states that from 20 to 30 years ago, the majority of infections happened in hospitals.
Tom reports that the majority of incoming cases originate from outside the institution.
While some governments attempt to eliminate cephalosporins from animal treatment, the damage has already been done. Most strains of C. diff are naturally resistant to cephalosporins of the third generation.
Tom said, “C. difficile is one of the United States Center for Disease Control’s top five public health hazards.” “Australians have not yet fully realised this fact.”
What then can we do?
preventing the spread
Recent evidence indicates that fewer general practitioners in Australia are prescribing broad-spectrum antibiotics.
And while this new tendency is great, it is still difficult to break the habit of prescribing antibiotics. Antibiotics are one of the most significant medical advancements ever undertaken. They are particularly effective against the majority of bacterial illnesses.
However, the World Health Organization discourages the use of antibiotics to treat colds and influenza. Because they are viral illnesses, antibiotics are ineffective against them.
According to Tom, we must likewise stop administering human medications to animals. It fosters the development of zoonotic illnesses (diseases that transfer from animals to humans).
We are in a race against superbugs. It’s not a battle we can ever entirely win, but if we embrace the aforementioned tactics, we may be able to escape total defeat.