Is C Diff Contagious?

Is C. diff contagious? Is C. difficile contagious?

Many people want to know “Is C. diff contagious?”

The answer is yes. C. difficile can be very contagious. C. difficile is easily spread from person to person through touch, from contact with contaminated objects or surfaces (like cell phones, shopping cart handles, gym equipment, etc). It is very important to wash your hands well after using the bathroom, as C diff can reside in your stool. Some people are also carriers of C. diff, and they may not have any symptoms of the infection. Those who are especially vulnerable are the elderly, who often have weaker immune systems and complicating health problems.

C. difficile is a bacteria that spreads through something called “spores”. The spores of C. difficile are hardy and can persist for long periods of time in the environment, making it easier for the bacteria to be spread. These spores are easily ingested by touching around your mouth after you’ve touched a contaminated surface or object. Once C. diff spores find their way into your gut, can turn into the active form of the bacteria and cause infection.

How do you clean and protect against C. diff?

People who have active C. difficile infections should use special precautions to help prevent spreading the bacteria to others. Good personal hygiene is a crucial part of protecting yourself and family, as is proper and consistent cleaning of surfaces. Be sure to wash your hands after using the bathroom with warm soapy water. Beware that common alcohol-based cleaners and disinfectants are not effective against C. difficile spores and should be avoided. As C. diff creates dormant spores, you’ll also need a good sporocidal cleaner for surfaces. Learn more about C diff infection control.

You don’t have to have an active infection to spread C. difficile. Most people don’t realize this, but you can be a C. difficile carrier and spread the disease, even if you don’t have an active infection. This is because people can carry C. difficile and don’t even know it. Carriers may never get sick or ever have an infection. C. difficile is a growing part of our society and all of us are exposed to C. difficile bacteria more often than we realize.

How many people get C. difficile infections each year?

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), 301,200 people with CDAD (C. diff. diseases) were discharged from U.S. hospitals in 2005 alone. In that same year, 3100 people died directly from CDAD. CDAD was also a contributing factor to the deaths of 26,600 people discharged from the hospital in 2005.

The number of C. Difficile infections has been increasing rapidly over the last several years, with the infection rate doubling between 2001 and 2005. According to a new 2010 study, the increasing trend in C. difficile infections shows no signs of stopping.

At the 2010 International Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections, a new study revealed that the rate of C. difficile might overtake the rate of the common superbug MRSA. The study found that Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) rates have been decreasing due to improved prevention efforts inside hospitals. However, the rate of C. difficile infection has increased each year since 2007.

Two thirds of infected hospital patients are elderly and the infection is most common in the Northeast part of the U.S. But the infection is showing up more in children and in community settings.

C. difficile is only found in hospitals, right?

Not anymore. There are actually more and more cases of C. difficile infecting otherwise healthy people who have not visited a hospital recently. According to the CDC, 20% of all C. difficile infections are community-associated, originating outside of healthcare environments.

As you’ve probably heard, C. difficile bacteria are now in our schools, our gyms, and everywhere else that people are. That means it’s much more important that you be prepared with solutions that work, and have a game-plan in place on how to reduce your risk of becoming infected. More on this in a bit.