Causes of C. Difficile
C. Difficile bacteria can be found almost anywhere — water, soil, and air. It is commonly transmitted via feces, animal, or human. When an infected person defecates without washing their hands properly, they transfer spores of the bacteria to any surface they touch. Food can also be contaminated in the process. The bacteria persist for a long period, up to weeks on surfaces. Hence, a healthy person can easily be infected when they touch or come in contact with the contaminated surfaces.
Some healthy people (about 1 in 30) naturally have the bacteria in their large intestines, although it does not affect them adversely. [3] However, in other people, a C. Difficile attack spells so much trouble, it could disintegrate the colon lining and affect the body’s cells strongly. The C. Difficile toxin destroys cells and leaves patches of inflamed cells in the individual, often visible in the colon. This is the reason for the watery stools (diarrhea) that come with the infection. Once you’ve had a C. Difficile infection, you can only be certified free of it 48 hours after your symptoms have cleared. [4]
