什么是难辨梭菌?

什么是难辨梭菌?

A potentially deadly, infectious superbug called Clostridium difficile has exploded in growth three-fold over the last decade. C. diff, as it's also called, causes almost half a million illnesses in the United States each year, and 1 in 11 people over age 65 die within a month of being diagnosed with it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

难辨梭菌是一种具有潜在致命性和传染性的超级细菌，在过去的十年里，它的生长速度是普通细菌的三倍。美国疾病控制与预防中心的数据显示，在美国，该细菌每年导致近50万人患病，每11名65岁以上的老人中就有一人在被诊断出患有这种疾病后一个月内死亡。

Elderly people in medical facilities can be at risk for the C. difficile infection. (Photo: Kasco Sandor/Shutterstock)

What is C. difficile? C. difficile infection is a harmful bacterium that produces toxins that attack the lining of the intestine. The toxins destroy cells and produce plaques of inflammatory cells and decaying cellular debris inside the colon.

难辨梭菌是什么?艰难梭菌感染是一种有害的细菌，它会产生毒素攻击肠道内壁。毒素破坏细胞并在结肠内产生炎性细胞斑块和腐烂的细胞碎片。

C.difficile spores are passed through the feces of people who have the toxic bacteria in their gut. Spores can persist in the environment (on hospital beds or railings) and can also be spread through the air or find their way into the food.

难辨梭菌是通过肠道内有毒细菌携带者的粪便传播。孢子可以在环境中存活(在医院的病床或栏杆上)，也可以通过空气传播或进入食物中。

Another major cause is taking antibiotics, which can kill millions of beneficial micro-organisms in the gut. Colitis caused by Clostridium difficile is a major complication of prescribing antibiotics, according to research conducted by Baylor University.

另一个主要原因是服用抗生素，它可以杀死肠道中数以百万计的有益微生物。根据贝勒大学的研究，难辨梭菌引起的结肠炎是开抗生素处方的主要并发症。

Awareness of antibiotics' negative impact has grown, but they are still prescribed too frequently. If you need to, get a second opinion. (Photo: Burlingham/Shutterstock)

Antibiotics cause a reduction in bacteria that normally reside in the colon. If an antibiotic-treated patient ingests C. difficile bacteria, this organism may proliferate in the colon because it's resistant to most antibiotics and because it doesn't have to compete with the normal bacteria for nutrients, the paper by Baylor researchers concludes.

抗生素导致通常存在于结肠中的细菌减少。贝勒研究人员的论文得出结论称，如果接受抗生素治疗的患者摄入艰难梭菌，这种微生物可能会在结肠中增殖，因为它对大多数抗生素都有抗药性，而且它不需要与正常细菌争夺营养。

Ironically, in some cases, it's treated by administering certain antibiotics that target the C. difficile colony in the gut.

具有讽刺意味的是，在某些情况下，它的治疗方法是使用针对肠道内难辨梭菌菌落的特定抗生素。

In extreme cases, surgery is required to remove the infected part of the intestine.

在极端情况下，需要手术切除感染部分的肠道。

Under a magnification of 3006x, this scanning electron microscopic image depicts a large grouping of rod-shaped, Gram-positive Clostridium difficile bacteria. (Photo: CDC/Lois S. Wiggs (PHIL #6260)/Wikimedia Commons)

Usually, elderly people who have taken several courses of antibiotics and have stayed for several stints in the hospital.

通常，上过几次抗生素疗程并在医院住过几次的老年人会感染。

But it's not just infected people who carry C. difficile. One British medical online forum claims that three in 100 adults and as many as 70 percent of healthy babies are carriers of C. difficile.

但不仅仅是感染了难辨梭菌的人。一个英国医学在线论坛声称，每100个成年人中就有3个是难辨梭菌携带者，而健康婴儿中多达70%是难辨梭菌携带者。

Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. However, washing with anti-bacterial soap or sanitizer can have the opposite effect by reducing the good bacteria in your gut and making you more susceptible to infections.

经常用肥皂水洗手。然而，用抗菌肥皂或消毒剂洗手会产生相反的效果，减少肠道中的有益细菌，使你更容易受到感染。

Use plain soap and water, instead of antibacterial soaps. (Photo: hxdbzxy/Shutterstock)

Also, don't take antibiotics unless you really need them. Get a second opinion from a medical doctor or a naturopathic doctor. Start taking probiotics if you have taken antibiotics recently.

此外，除非真的需要，否则不要服用抗生素。征求医生或自然疗法医生的意见。如果你最近服用过抗生素，那就开始服用益生菌。

"I recommend probiotics to my patients who travel out of the country, or have taken antibiotics. Actually, I recommend them to anybody with a pulse," advises Lamm.

“我向出国旅行或服用抗生素的病人推荐益生菌。事实上，我向任何有脉搏的人推荐它们。