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A new, epidemic strain of C. difficile is proving alarmingly deadly, and new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine not only explains why but also suggests a way to stop it. Until now, scientists have not understood what made this strain worse than other strains of the bacteria, the most common cause of hospital-acquired infections. The new strain kills up to 15 percent of infected patients, including those who receive antibiotics, and has become increasingly common over the last 15 years. This has prompted the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to label it an "urgent threat."

A molecule being targeted in cancer is also critical for the immune system's ability to battle pneumonia, researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have determined. The finding may offer a new way for doctors to boost patients' ability to fight off the life-threatening infection as bacteria become more and more resistant to antibiotics.