What is Clostridium Defficile?

One of the most serious health care related infections is the bacterium Clostridium difficile (C. diff), it is often acquired during a stay in a hospital or a long-term care facility.

There are hundreds of bacteria normally found in the intestines many of them playing a positive role in the body, C. diff bacteria are among them. If a patient is taking an antibiotic to treat an infection, the bacteria that’s causing the illness is destroyed, but the helpful bacteria can be destroyed as well. If there is a lack of healthy bacteria, hazardous pathogens such as C. diff can quickly grow out of control. If C. diff takes hold, it can produce two virulent toxins that attack the lining of the intestine.

Symptoms can include fever and diarrhea to life-threatening inflammations of the colon. C. diff is responsible for tens of thousands of diarrhea cases and at least 5,000 deaths each year in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

JBR Clinical Research will be participating in a phase 2 clinical research study of a vaccine to prevent C. diff. This will be evaluating prevention of a first time episode in at-risk individuals, which includes adults with imminent hospitalization or current or impending residence in a long-term care or rehabilitation facility. If you or someone you know would be a candidate for this study please contact JBR Clinical Research online at https://www.jbrclinicalresearch.com