The Clostridia class contains many useful kinds of intestinal bacteria, but also an infamous kind: Clostridium difficile. Although these spore-forming bacteria do not normally cause gut problems, they can lead to annoying infections.
The Clostridia class contains many useful kinds of intestinal bacteria, but also an infamous kind: Clostridium difficile. Although these spore-forming bacteria do not normally cause gut problems, they can lead to annoying infections.
A useful class
Clostridium difficile is the black sheep in the Clostridia class. The other members are mostly useful intestinal bacteria which break down fibres in the gut, producing important nutrients for the cells in the intestine.
Under the thumb
The other intestinal bacteria usually keep C. difficile under their thumb but antibiotic use can get rid of these ‘good’ bacteria. The Clostridium difficile spores are able to survive the antibiotic attack and can reproduce unchecked. They release toxins that can cause diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps. And can even prove fatal.
Faecal transplant
The solution is very simple although it sounds rather dirty: a transfer of excrement or a faecal transplant. The procedure involves placing a balanced mix of intestinal bacteria taken from a donor into the gut of the patient. This restores the natural balance in the intestine. An experimental study into this treatment indicated that 94% of the patients were cured.
A bit of a stink
To diagnose whether someone is suffering from the effects of C. difficile, a specimen of excrement is tested for the toxins it contains. In the future, it may be possible to fix a diagnosis by letting a dog smell the patient or their excrement. It appears that dogs are able to signal the presence of the bacteria in this way. It is not entirely clear how they can do this.