Pat's Note: New information to me, although suspected.

20% of C.Diff cases estimated to be in the under 65s. This is of
interest in Canada too.

The number of people infected by C.Diff iin the UK and Canada is
massive. That means the number under 65 is also pretty substantial and
will include large numbers of children.

And we leave corrupt vets running big operations with vast numbers of
permanently sick pigs stuffed full of antibiotics to get them into the
food chain?

What a scandal!

Heads will roll. Heads should roll. It is ridiculous.

Any country that allows veterinary greed to be put before the lives of
its children needs change urgently.

http://www.mlwmagazine.com/story.asp?sectioncode=201&storyCode=2048274

Wales ups its C. diff surveillance 
23 July 2008  

The Chief Medical Officer for Wales has revealed plans to extend the
mandatory surveillance of Clostridium difficile.

Up until now only infection rates among patients aged 65 and over have
been published. Under the new plans reporting will extend to cover all
confirmed cases of the infection in patients aged over two.

This initiative comes in response to advice from the Welsh Healthcare
Associated Infection team at the National Public Health Service for
Wales and from Welsh Assembly Government health professionals.

Fuller data will be published for the first time in September,
specifying all patients confirmed with the infection between January
and the end of June 2008. Following an evaluation, this data will form
part of routine health associated infection publications in 2009.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Jewell noted that up to 3% of healthy
adults carry C. difficile and that it generally causes them no harm.
And he explained some of the reasoning behind the current age range
for infection reporting: "All patients over the age of two who are
suspected of having antibiotic associated diarrhoea are routinely
tested for C. difficile and the laboratory results are recorded but
not published. This has been because the evidence clearly shows that
C. difficile is a particular risk to older people who account for 80%
of cases." 

However, he added: "Due to concerns about the increased rate of C.
difficile in the over two age group in England, the Assembly
Government asked the Welsh Healthcare Associated Infection team to
look at how data can be published in Wales for surveillance and
benchmarking."


To ensure consistency across Wales, the Assembly Government will also
issue a new protocol for testing for the so-called hospital superbug.
As the incidence of infection may depend on a range of factors,
including the age of patients being treated and the type of services
provided, it can be difficult to compare statistics between trusts in
a meaningful way. The new protocol will therefore provide guidance on
when and how to test for the infection, thereby aiding data
comparability. The possibility of publishing information on the
severity of the infection for the patient is also being considered. 

The National Public Health Service for Wales said of the plans: "The
underlying reason for developing the surveillance schemes is for them
to be indicators of the local burden of disease and track trends for
local organisations, who can then assess their own performance and
adjust their own procedures when problems are identified."

Health Minister Edwina Hart stressed that the plans were part of a
progressive strategy and that the risk of developing a healthcare
associated infection remains low: "Our strategy for tackling all
infections, which has been endorsed by the Wales Audit Office and
Assembly's Audit Committee, is paying off with lower infection rates
in Wales. But we are not complacent and are working hard to drive them
down even further." 

She added: "While they will never be entirely preventable, there are
measures in place to reduce the risk and spread of infections.
Healthcare Inspectorate Wales, the independent organisation set up to
inspect NHS settings, has appointed a number of peer reviewers to look
at trusts' infection control procedures and the unannounced hospital
cleanliness spot-checks will continue."

The Minister also cited the 1,000 Lives campaign, launched in April,
which aims to reduce avoidable risk to patient safety through the
implementation of new ways of working and techniques developed by
clinicians in Wales.

-- 
Regards
Pat Gardiner
Release the results of testing British pigs for MRSA and C.Diff now!
www.go-self-sufficient.com