Clostridium difficile, also known as C. difficile or C. diff, is bacteria which can infect the bowel and cause diarrhoea. The infection most commonly affects people who have recently been treated with antibiotics. It can spread easily to others.
It is necessary to control C.diff as effectively as possible, especially in situations where low immune systems are prevalent e.g hospitals, local surgeries, drop in centers etc. The spores are spread to others via the hands of health care providers and/or on contaminated environmental surfaces or equipment. C. difficile is usually not spread through casual contact such as touching or hugging. C. difficile is not spread through the air by coughing or sneezing.
Latest research suggests that Clostridium Difficile (C.diff) persisted on a variety of surfaces even after appropriate decontamination procedures during cleaning. C.diff spores were found on hospital surgical gowns as well as on stainless steel and vinyl flooring, after recommended treatment with disinfectant.
A research study by a leading healthcare profesional found: “The spores of the bacteria were able to grow after decontamination. This shows that spores are becoming resistant and we need to reconsider how we decontaminate and employ hygiene measures in hospitals”.
Whilst this is a specific case, it is evident that bacteria and virus are becoming resilient to cleaning and sanitising solutions. It is important to stay up to date with changing approaches to hygiene management and bacteria control, in order to be as effective as possible in our cleaning strategies, especially when working in the healthcare industry.