The bacterium Clostridium difficile has become a major healthcare threat of global significance with approximately 50,000 cases per annum reported in the UK and 500,000 cases in the US. Mortality rates in the UK due to C. difficile infection are four times higher than infections due to MRSA. In the US the cost of care for C. difficile infection is estimated to be $1.1 billion per annum. With hyper-virulent strains endemic in Europe and the US and common antibiotic treatments actually inducingC. difficile infection, there is an urgent need for novel therapies. A new potential treatment for C. difficile infection has been developed at the University of Nottingham that treats the infection without promoting resistance.
