C Diff Contagious – What you must know about preventing an infection

C Diff contagious infections are caused by a bacteria carried in the intestine.  Many people are carriers without it making them ill. Their infection is often  activated by antibiotics taken to treat other illness.  These damage the balance of the intestine while treating the other illness. This can allow the c. difficile to flourish.

Why is C Diff contagious?

It is potentially contagious when it results in diarrhea.  This can cause fecal contamination of the person who is ill and their surroundings. Other people will then become colonized by the c. difficile spores.

How is c diff contagious?

The hand picks up c. difficile from a surface that has minute amounts of fecal waste. The bacteria can then find it’s way into the mouth via touch, food etc. C Diff is found in the environment and investigations continue as to how it infects people with no contact with other sufferers. C Diff can be caught in many different contexts. Many people do not catch it in hospital but arrive already colonized.

Other C Diff Questions

Protecting yourself and others

Family and friends of a C Diff sufferer should protect themselves by hand washing. This should take place after personal contact, before meals and after toilet visits. The action of running water over the hands is important as it It helps dislodge c.difficile traces.  You should also purchase Clorox type cleaners for use on high touch areas around the sufferer and around your home. C. difficile spores are very hardy and can persist for long periods, therefore the use of certified cleaning agents is advised.

Recent C Diff Transmission News

Last Updated on December 6, 2019

17 thoughts on “C Diff Contagious – What you must know about preventing an infection”

  1. Household transmission is thought to be rare. Hand hygiene by you both after any meeting you have will almost certainly contain the risk and reduce it almost zero – especially if you are not actually having a c diff episode at this time. There is a risk but it is low especially if you avoid actual physical contact

    Dave

    Reply
  2. My grandmother contracted C. Diff in the hospital about a week ago, and is now dying in her nursing home. Some members of the family have visited multiple times. Is it safe for my son (2 years old) and I to visit my family for the funeral? My sister is expecting a baby and day now… should she be isolated from the family that has visited my grandma?

    Reply
    • It can – and the bodies response can often lead to organ failure and death. But the patient is often ill with other conditions. Special drips are often required and extended drug treatment in order to restore the patient to health. Surgery may be required if the colon has taken the brunt of the attack

      Dave
      cdifficile.org

      Reply
  3. I have crohns disease and now have just been diagnosed with C-diff for the 3rd time since December. I have been taking a probiotic, eating yogert and feeling pretty good despite my Crohns still being active. This c-diff makes it worse. A third time really, I haven’t done anything. Why is this happening. I clean the toilet, wash my hands and clean the tub. I have a three year old. I am desperate not to give it to her. Why is this happening??

    Reply
    • Have the hospital talked to you about what strain of c diff it is. Some are harder to treat than other. What drugs have they prescribed. Let us know and we’ll give more feedback. Some drugs are not effective at stopping the c diff

      dave
      cdifficile.org

      Reply
  4. I have been diagnosed with c-diff after a sinus infection that was treated with an anti-biotic and have been battling with it now for weeks. Flagyl failed twice so now I am on Vancomycin. My husband just got diarrhea. Should we be concerned that he has been contaminated and has contracted c-diff too and is this a disease that I will always have now or once treated does it go away permanently.?

    Reply
    • The nature of c diff is such that you may always carry it, as many people do. Your problem is that the balance has been changed in your intestine and it is not being held back by other bacteria. The vancomycin may return that balance or it may not. About 20% of people need further treatment. The current drug of choice is Dificid (Fidaxomicin) which seems to stop it rather than supress it.

      It would probably be best for your husband to have a check up and test.

      Hope this is helpful

      Dave
      cdifficile.org

      Reply
  5. I was recently diagnosed with c-diff and I’m now starting my antibiotics. My girlfriend has cystic fibrosis, which means she is always on antibiotics, making bacteria like c-diff very dangerous to her. How can I make sure to not spread it? should I just not be around her at all?

    Reply
    • Hand washing, regular showering and using different toilets will all help. Domestic cross infection is also very rare according to the academic literature.

      dave
      cdifficile.org

      Reply
  6. I have a co-worker that has an extreme case of C Diff, her first 6 weeks of medication did nothing to improve her symptoms. My concern is how contagious is she as she comes to work when having episodes of diarrhea and vomiting and the is only one bathroom that all the ladies share? We also share a kitchen/break room that doesn’t get regular cleaning. Please advise us as to how we can protect ourselves. Thank you in advance for the advise.

    Reply
    • As you note it is not an ideal situation. The possibility of c diff spores in the toilet environment is the key. In some of these situations the key advice is that the most effort must be put into the closing of the final bridge. The final bridge in this case is the hand. This picks up the c diff from the surfaces and can carry it to the mouth and then into the intestine. 20-30 second hand washes should protect you from the possibility of cross infection.

      dave
      cdifficile.org

      Reply
  7. I’m taking antibiotic due to dental procedure. Mother-in-law (92 years old) in hospital with C-Diff. Can I visit her ? I’m 62 in good health. How likely am I to get C-Diff after my course of antibiotic ?
    Thanks, I appreciate your knowledge.
    gail

    Reply
    • There are two areas of risk.

      1 If you are an C Diff carrier you might have an infection because of the antibiotics

      2 If you become a C Diff carrier because of contact with your mother in law – as above

      Hand washing after visiting your mother in law lessens the risk. The possibility that you might already be a ‘silent carrier’anyway is about 1 in 30.

      Hope this helps

      Dave
      cdifficile.org

      Reply
  8. Because c diff is a gastro condition it will not spread vis breast milk. We have read extensively in the literature and this has never been mentioned

    dave
    cdifficile.org

    Reply
  9. C diff is carried via the fecal oral route in most cases. C difficile spores are sometimes shed or carried by sufferers. However domestic infection is noted in various studies as very low and can often be thwarted by handwashing after social contact.

    Dave
    cdifficile.org

    Reply

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