Persons without disease symptoms carry dangerous diarrhoeal bacterium

A new study has shown that the bacterium that causes a highly contagious and sometimes deadly form of diarrhoea is often carried by persons who do not have any of the disease symptoms.

The new findings, published online in Clinical Infectious Diseases, have dramatic implications for health care workers who treat and isolate only those patients who exhibit symptoms.

Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) is the most common health care-associated diarrhoeal disease in developed countries, with most infections occurring in hospitals, nursing homes, or other institutions.

Infection control measures-such as placing patients with suspected or documented CDAD under contact precautions until the diarrhoea resolved and disinfecting their rooms-have been effective in reducing, but not eliminating, CDAD outbreaks.

The new study offers understanding as to why the infection efforts have not been more successful. It suggests that the bacteria may be thriving on asymptomatic patients and items in their immediate vicinity such as call buttons, bed rails, bedside tables, and telephones.

The researchers found that spores were easily transferred from the patient's skin to their hands.