RATES of the hospital infection Clostridium difficile (C.diff) have trebled in parts of Australia amid the arrival of a new strain which has just been found in Scotland, an expert has warned.
Professor Thomas Riley, a microbiologist at the University of Western Australia, said the country was heading for a "very dark time" as the new, nastier bacteria took hold.
Unpublished studies have shown the new strain, known as ribotype 244, is more likely to kill patients than other varieties, Professor Riley says.
We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.
Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.
