What you should know about C. Diff

4/16/2018 (Permalink)

According to Mayo Clinic “when something upsets the balance of these organisms in your gut, otherwise harmless bacteria can grow out of control and make you sick. One of the worst offenders is a bacterium called Clostridium difficile (C. difficile, or C. diff). As the bacteria overgrow they release toxins that attack the lining of the intestines, causing a condition called Clostridium difficilecolitis.” C. diff is one of the most important causes of infectious diarrhea in the U.S. according to the CDC.

How Does It Spread?

1. diff is found in feces and is transmitted by touch. If you come into contact with an infected surface, then touch your mouth or nose, the disease can enter your body through the mucous membranes. It can also be passed by touching an infected person, which is part of why it is so prevalent in healthcare settings or in places where sick people are common. People with compromised immune systems, including the elderly, are at an increased risk of catching this illness.

About 50 percent of the population naturally carries clostridium difficile (C. diff) in their intestines. The bacteria, C. diff, exists within the body in a vegetative state and doesn’t make people sick, unless illness, disease and antibiotic use puts them at risk.

What To Do If Someone You Know Has Contracted C. Diff?

The most important part and first thing you should do is get medical attention for the person with symptoms of having C. Diff. Then protect the rest of your home and prevent any reinfection by having your home thoroughly cleaned by a professional biohazard service like SERVPRO of LaGrange Park/North Riverside. This precaution is especially important if the ill person shares a bathroom with others, or if there are small children or elderly in the home. Even if surfaces like faucets and sinks appear clean, c. Difficile can be incredibly resistant to household cleaners and disinfectants. A traditional house cleaning may not be enough to defeat the illness.

“Studies have shown that out of all the surfaces that must be cleaned in a hospital room, only 39 percent will actually be cleaned by housekeepers,” Benjamin Tanner, president of Antimicrobial Test Laboratories. Using a professional service like SERVPRO of LaGrange Park/North Riverside, we are trained and use specialty equipment and environmentally green products to clean and disinfect the areas that have come in contact with the bacteria.

As with all of your commercial and home cleaning needs, we are here to help.  We are “faster to any size disaster”. Call us at 708-240-4873, for an appointment.