EU Warns about C.diff

The EU has called for existing infection control guidelines to be reviewed after a new strain of C.diff has been discovered in Austria, Denmark, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Spain and Sweden, and Scotland. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has asked that EU member countries take precautions to avoid the disease. These include "early diagnosis, surveillance, education of staff, appropriate isolation precautions, hand hygiene, use of protective clothing, environmental cleaning and cleaning of medical equipment, good antibiotic stewardship, and specific measures during outbreaks".

The ECDC reminds that C.diff is "the leading cause of diarrhoea in hospitals" and although it is difficult to control, the organization believes that rigorous infection control policies can help. The ECDC reported that they are "currently financing a pan-European surveillance study to estimate the incidence of hospital and community acquired C. difficile." The results are expected sometime in 2009.

To read more, visit:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0801/breaking25.htm
http://www.hdmagazine.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=16&storyCode=2048305