“Superbug” is a term used by the medical community to describe strains of pathogenic bacteria that are resistant to the majority of antibiotics commonly used today. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria that cause skin infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, kidney failure, even death are some of the dangers we now face.
The Mayo Clinic states: “Antibiotic resistance is a naturally occurring phenomenon that can be slowed, but not stopped. Over time, bacteria adapt to the drugs that are designed to kill them and mutate to ensure their survival. This makes previously standard treatments for bacterial infections less effective, and in some cases, ineffective.”
One of the many serious threats to our health and wellness today is the “Superbug” Clostridium Difficile or “C. Diff”.
C. Diff is a pathogenic bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon. Illnesses from this pathogen most commonly affects older adults in hospitals or in long-term care facilities and typically occurs after use of antibiotic medications.
Patients receiving medical care can acquire serious infections called “Healthcare-Acquired Infections” (HAIs), such as C. Diff. However, studies show increasing rates of C. diff infection among people traditionally not considered an elevated risk, such as younger and healthier individuals without a history of antibiotic use or exposure to healthcare facilities.
Each year in the United States, about a half million people get sick from C. Diff, with an estimated 30,000 deaths annually. In recent years, C. Diff infections have become more frequent, severe and difficult to treat.