Scientists at McGill University have cracked the genetic code of a highly lethal strain of the C. difficile superbug that has killed as many as 2,000 Quebecers since January 2004. The sequencing of the entire genome of the Clostridium difficile bacterium is expected to pave the way for a quick genetic test to determine which patients are infected with the microbe, researchers said. They suspect the Quebec strain might also produce hardier spores that can survive on surfaces much longer. That might be the reason hospitals have had such a difficult time eradicating the bug from surfaces in washrooms. The number of C. difficile infections has dropped in Quebec, suggesting hospitals might finally have contained the problem. However, doctors won't know for sure until the middle of winter, when the incidence of C. difficile infections is typically higher.

<< Montreal News Archive