MRSA and C. difficile

Antibiotic resistance is a particular problem in hospitals and care homes. Older people need antibiotics more often as they are more vulnerable to infections because their immune systems naturally weaken with age, a process called immunosenescence.MRSA and C. difficile are two examples of bacteria that have become a problem due to antibiotic resistance.Staphylococcus aureus is found on the skin or in the nose of 30% of the population. In the body it can cause boils, abscesses and potentially septicaemia which can be fatal. A resistant strain has now emerged called MRSA - methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus.About 5% of the population have Clostridium difficile in their gut. The bacteria cause diarrhoea and bleeding as it damages the intestinal lining.In healthy individuals C. difficile does not pose a problem and the numbers are kept low by the healthy gut flora.A person on a course of antibiotics will kill off much of the healthy gut flora, reducing the competition and encouraging the proliferation of C. difficile by natural selection.