  clostridium difficile colitis (also known as c. diff diarrhea, clostridium difficile infection [cdi] and pseudomembranous colitis) is a cause of infectious diarrhea due to a type of spore-forming bacteria. latent symptoms of cdi often mimic some flu-like symptoms and can mimic disease flare in people with inflammatory bowel disease-associated colitis. c. difficile releases toxins that can cause bloating and diarrhea, with abdominal pain, which may become severe. the colitis is thought to occur when this bacteria replaces normal gut flora that has been compromised, usually following antibiotic treatment for an unrelated infection. the disturbance of normal healthy bacteria may provide c. difficile an opportunity to overrun the intestinal microbiome. it is a type of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. mild cases of cdi can often be treated by discontinuing the offending antibiotics. more serious cases require targeted antibiotic treatment. relapses of cdi have been reported in up to 20% of cases. c. difficile infection is a growing problem in health care facilities, killing some 14,000 people a year in the united states.  == signs and symptoms == signs
Bacteria_with_sequenced_genomes Conditions_diagnosed_by_stool_test Diarrhea Gut_flora_bacteria Healthcare-associated_infections