C. diff Infections are a Real Concern in Chicago & across Illinois

Dec. 14, 2010 - PRLog -- Just last week it was reported that an outbreak of C. difficile (C. diff) at a Canadian hospital has already infected 63 patients.  The outbreak has caused at least one confirmed death and possibly six others.  

This latest outbreak is being watched closely by hospitals across Illinois and the Chicago area.  According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, C. difficile infections per 1,000 discharges in Illinois for the years 1999-2009 showed an increased rate from 4.5 per 1,000 discharges to 9.2 per 1,000 discharges. During 2009 there were 15,323 C. difficile infections among 1,668,396 discharges.

According to the same report, “Clostridium difficile, also referred to as C. difficile, is a common cause of bacterial diarrhea in hospitalized patients. C. difficile-associated diarrhea ranges from mild to severe and can sometimes result in severe inflammation of the intestines. The C. difficile organism can be found in feces, and is transferred from infected patients or contaminated environmental surfaces to patients via the hands of hospital personnel. Patients also can become infected if they touch objects or surfaces that are contaminated with C. difficile and then touch their mouth. Although a person may have the organism in their intestines, it does not usually cause disease until antibiotics alter normal intestinal flora, promoting overgrowth with C. difficile.”

A leading infection control prevention firm that has been on the frontline fighting infectious diseases such as C. diff is Chicago based EC2, Inc.  Ed Chambers, the president of EC2 recently reported, “According to an article in the May 2009 issue of American Journal of Infection Control, a survey of 648 medical facilities revealed a C. diff. infection rate of thirteen out of every one thousand inpatients. These stunning rates were approximately 20 times higher than previous estimates and dramatically showed what a threat C. diff has become.”

To learn more about C. diff, infection control or other indoor air quality (IAQ) and environmental services please visit http://www.4ec2inc.com, email info@4ec2inc.com or call (815) 703-9000.

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About EC2, Inc.
EC2 is a leading provider of environmental consulting and inspection services for clients across the United States. Based in the Chicago area, the company provides their services to clients ranging from local companies and institutions to international Fortune 500 corporations.