Colostrum difficile bacteria. It is spread though contaminated fecal matter, and usually caused by high doses of IV antibiotics in hospitalized patients, which makes them more susceptible. wash your hands people!!!!
~you better wash those hands!!!!!!
C-diff is highly contagious, and when a hospitalized pt has it they are put on what's called contact isolation.
This means you don't touch the patient or anything in the room without gloves and a gown. when you remove your gloves, you ALWAYS wash your hands.
In most hospitals they have alcohol based hand cleansers, which are wonderful, but unfortunately c-diff is one of the only bacteria not killed by this... you must use soap and water with c-diff, and frequently nurses will leave notes in the room so the pts. families know this, and one more thing there is a saying, if you don't go into the hospital sick, you will get sick. and that is unfortunately frequently true.
They are called "Nosocomial Infections" infections acquired while in the hosp. like staph and c-diff and MRSA etc. it is due to the fact that so much is spread pt. to pt. and it has been proven that handwashing is the BEST way to stop the spread of infection.
So yes, c diff is acquired from long term iv abts, but it is also a highly contagious bacteria, that loves to pass itself around.
You'll see trends in the hospital, and sometimes you can almost pinpoint who wasn't carrying out proper infection control.