C. diff. rates highest in Northeast and springtime

Over the past 10 years infection rates for the deadly superbug Clostridium difficile (C. diff) have been at their highest in the Northeast region of the United States and during the spring, according to a new study in the May issue of the American Journal of Infection Control. Researchers from the University of Texas analyzed 2.3 million C. diff cases from 2001-2010. Infections were most common in the Northeast, with 8 out of every 1,000 patients discharged contracting the infection. The Western U.S. had the lowest rate, with 4.8 of every 1,000 discharges infected. C. diff rates were highest during the spring, with 6.2 infections per 1,000 discharges, though pediatric C. diff was highest during the winter. C. diff mortality was highest in the Midwest, with a rate of 7.3 percent, and 7.9 percent for the winter months. Study abstract