What is C Diff?
C. diff (Clostridioides difficile) is a type of bacteria that can cause severe diarrhea and other intestinal issues, such as colitis (inflammation of the colon). It often affects people who have recently used antibiotics or have been hospitalized. It’s extremely contagious and the C. Diff spores can live for 70-90 days outside of the body. Here are some key points about C. diff:
Symptoms: Diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite, nausea, and abdominal pain.
Transmission: Spread through contact with contaminated surfaces or feces.
Risk Factors: Use of antibiotics, prolonged hospital stays, weakened immune systems, and older age.
Treatment: Often involves stopping the use of the offending antibiotic and starting a specific antibiotic that targets C. diff. In severe cases, surgery may be required.
Prevention: Good hand hygiene, cleaning surfaces with disinfectants that kill C. diff spores, and appropriate use of antibiotics.
Infectious Diseases Spread Through Feces
Feces are a biohazard and can be a vector for infectious diseases. These diseases can spread when spores or microscopic particles of feces are transferred from one person to another, often through ingestion. This transmission can occur directly, such as hand-to-mouth contact, or indirectly via contaminated objects, surfaces, foods, or water. Some examples of diseases that spread through fecal contamination include:
- C Diff
- Hepatitis A
- Campylobacter
- Cryptosporidium
- Giardia
- Meningitis
- Hand, Foot, & Mouth Disease
- Rotavirus Infection
- Salmonella
- Shigella Infection
- Thrush
- Viral gastroenteritis
- Worms
- Yersinia Infection
