Dangerous bacteria can survive disinfectant, putting patients at risk

C. difficile has shown antibiotic resistance in people. Now it’s shown to be resistant to efforts to destroy it on surfaces by cleaning.

By Erika Edwards

Dangerous bacteria that pose a particular threat to the elderly and very sick hospital patients have been shown to survive on disposable hospital gowns and stainless steel surfaces — even after they’re scrubbed clean.

The bacteria, called Clostridioides difficile or C. diff., cause almost a half million infections every year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An estimated 29,000 of those infected die.