C. diff, common hospital infection, spreads more quickly than previously thought
Apr 15, 2025, 4:39 PM
FILE: Tessa Kilberg, lab technician, prepares to feed neuron cells in February, 2025. Researchers at the University of Utah say they've learned that C. diff, one of the most common health-care-acquired infections, spreads three times more than was originally thought. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Researchers at the University of Utah say they’ve learned that one of the most common health-care-acquired infections, Clostridioides difficile or C. diff, spreads three times more than was originally thought.
Right now, hospitals and care centers report about 225,000 cases of C. diff each year. It’s a germ that can cause diarrhea and colitis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC also reports that C. diff can be life-threatening.
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In many instances, cases of C. diff occur after a person has taken a course of antibiotics. According to researchers, the infection is lethal in about 6% of cases in the U.S.
Why does C. diff spread so quickly?
Lindsay Keegan is a research associate professor in epidemiology at the University. She said their study examined different areas of a hospital and found that it spreads quickly in places like intensive care units.
“We tested all patients who consented, we tested three different rooms every single day. We also tested shared spaces outside of the patient rooms,” Keegan said.
One reason that C. diff can spread quickly, Keegan said, is that it evades standard infection control practices.
“Because it can go into a spore form, which can persist on environmental surfaces for very long periods of time,” she said. “You have to use very specific cleaners to kill C. diff spores. It makes it a lot harder to control because you really have to be very diligent, very careful about hand-washing, about cleaning surfaces.”
According to the study, the infection can stay undetected on hospital surfaces for weeks before infecting a patient. The study also found that the infection can spread to surfaces near patient beds, bathroom areas, public areas of the hospital, and to computers and carts used by hospital staff.
Is there a way to avoid getting C. diff?
The CDC offers several suggestions for patients and hospital staff to stop the spread of C. diff. In a healthcare setting, these include making sure:
- anybody caring for you washes their hands before and after the care;
- healthcare professionals wear gowns and gloves; and to
- wash your hands with soap and water every time you use a hospital bathroom and before you eat.
