CDC: Overuse of Antibiotics Increases Risk of C. Diff
The overuse of antibiotics makes U.S. residents more vulnerable to contracting the Clostridium difficile bacterium, which caused almost 500,000 infections and at least 29,000 deaths in one year, according to a CDC study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. C. diff is spread through individuals' hands and health care equipment and surfaces. The bacteria can produce toxins that cause deadly diarrhea and severe bowel damage.
- "U.S. CDC Warns Overuse of Antibiotics Has Fueled More Infections" (Abutaleb, Reuters, 2/25).