Osumex Natural Products

Debra Black - Staff Reporter
Toronto Star

Monday, August 2, 2004

One patient has died at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket (Ontario, Canada), from a common bacterium that has killed as many as 89 people in Montreal and Calgary since 2001.

The hospital confirmed that a patient died from Clostridium difficile, or C. difficile, as it's more commonly known. But hospital officials would not reveal any information about the patient, citing medical confidentiality and the family's right to privacy.

"We have had one confirmed death from C. difficile infection," said Pat Norman, vice-president for clinical programs at Southlake Regional.

The hospital also had 12 cases of the bug in June, she added.

Concern over C. difficile, which grows in the colon, has mounted in recent weeks after the Canadian Medical Association Journal reported on outbreaks in Montreal where 79 deaths occurred, and Calgary where another 10 deaths were reported - all due to what researchers think may be a new, more virulent strain of the organism.

C. difficile is common in many hospitals and long-term care facilities, infectious disease experts say. "We're within the national range (of cases)," said Norman. "Every hospital has some cases of this most of the time. So Southlake is no different from any other hospital.

Added Dr. Nancy Merrow, the hospital's chief of staff: "Unfortunately, it is an infection. In a very small number of cases, it can cause death. Southlake's experience would be no different than the national norm."

According to infectious disease experts, there have been other deaths from C. difficile in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area)

"I would say we see about one death a year that is directly associated to serious C. difficile," said Dr. Andrew Simon, head of microbiology at Sunnybrook Hospital.

Simon said studies peg the normal death rate from C. difficile at 1 to 1.5 per cent.

C. difficile is not a reportable disease, meaning public health authorities don't have to be informed of cases, and it is mostly confined to hospitals and long-term care facilities where patients routinely take antibiotics.

Patients often carry the bacteria in their bowel. If they are healthy and not on antibiotics, it is virtually harmless, said Dr. Tony Mazzulli, deputy chief microbiologist and infectious disease specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital.

But it can spell disaster for patients taking antibiotics, Mazsulli said. The antibiotics can kill off the normal flora in the bowel and the bug can produce a potentially deadly toxin that cause diarrhea.

If treated early, a patient can recover. But if there is a large amount of toxin, the germ can damage the lining of the colon and cause a rupture, which leaves the patient vulnerable to massive infection.

Researchers are worried that a new and more powerful form of C. difficile is making its way through Canadian hospitals. So far, there is no concrete evidence it has arrived in Toronto or southern Ontario.

About eight years ago, Health Canada did a study that found a 7 to 10 per cent risk of serious complications due to C. difficile, said Simon. But that study will be updated in the fall and a possible new strain will be high on its agenda.

"The question is: Is it happening more frequently and is the disease more virulent?" said Simon. "There's no question that's happening in parts of Quebec, Alberta and parts of the north eastern United States.

What we don't know for sure is if it's happening in southern Ontario... Our hospitals need to be prepared for this eventuallity."

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would prevent C. difficile from becoming dangerous. LB17 contains lactobacilli and pediococcus bacterium that are powerful bacterium for the GI tract. They are particularly effective in preventing damage to the intestinal walls that may cause massive infections. LB17 is an effective preventive measure against C. difficile.

The above information is provided for general educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace competent health care advice received from a knowledgeable healthcare professional. You are urged to seek healthcare advice for the treatment of any illness or disease.
Health Canada and the FDA (USA) have not evaluated these statements. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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