Infection Control Today Magazine

Diarrheal Diseases

Consumption of Probiotics Associated With Reduced Risk of Diarrhea From Antibiotic Use

Consumption of probiotics (live microorganisms, which may occur naturally in foods such as yogurt, intended to confer a health benefit when consumed) is associated with a reduced risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, a common adverse effect of antibiotic use, according to ...More
3 weeks ago
Posted in News
Infectious Diarrhea on the Rise in U.S. Healthcare Settings

With rates and deaths associated with Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), a pathogen that can cause diarrhea, at a historically high level, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) recommends increasing prevention efforts aimed at controlling the spread ...More
March 6, 2012
Posted in News, Hand Hygiene, PPE & Standard Precautions
Travelers With IBD Not at Higher Risk of Contracting Intestinal Infections

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) travelers have an increased risk of illness during trips to industrialized countries, but not to developing or tropical regions, according to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. "Inflammatory bowel disease patients are ...More
January 25, 2012
Posted in News
Probiotics Effective in Combating Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea

In four different studies presented at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG)'s 76th annual scientific meeting, researchers explored the effectiveness of probiotics for antibiotic-associated diarrhea; as an anti-inflammatory agent for patients with ulcerative ...More
October 31, 2011
Posted in News
Optimer Launches DIFICID Tablets for CDAD Treatment

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announces the commercial launch of DIFICID™ (fidaxomicin) tablets for the treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) in patients 18 years of age and older. In two large Phase 3 clinical studies, DIFICID had clinical response ...More
July 18, 2011
Posted in News, Infections & Pathogens
Evidence of a Preventive Benefit of Zinc Against Diarrhea is Inconclusive

Prevention of diarrhea has presented indomitable challenges. A preventive strategy that has received significant interest is zinc supplementation. Existing literature including quantitative meta-analyses and systematic reviews tend to show that zinc supplementation is ...More
May 16, 2011
Posted in News
Researchers Join Forces to Cure Deadly Childhood Disease

The Center for World Health and Medicine at Saint Louis University and the Institute for OneWorld Health have established a joint research agreement to develop new drugs to combat diarrhea, which is the second leading cause of death worldwide in children under age 5. Each ...More
May 4, 2011
Posted in News
Health Professionals Must Take Action on Water and Sanitation Issues

The active involvement of health professionals in hygiene, sanitation and water supply is absolutely crucial to accelerating and consolidating global health progress, says a new series of papers in PLoS Medicine by a leading group of public health academics and water ...More
November 16, 2010
Posted in News
Newly Identified Virus May Cause Pediatric Diarrhea

Klassevirus, a new member of the picornavirus family, has recently been discovered in human stool and more specifically linked with pediatric diarrhea. Researchers from the U.S. and abroad detail their findings in the October 2010 issue of the journal Clinical and Vaccine ...More
October 15, 2010
Posted in News
Noroviruses Identified as Common Cause of Travelers' Diarrhea

Noroviruses, infamous for causing outbreaks of gastroenteritis on cruise ships, may now be recognized as a common cause of travelers' diarrhea in multiple regions of the world as well. Researchers from the U.S. and abroad detail their findings in the May 2010 issue of the ...More
May 14, 2010
Posted in News