Dr. Martin Blaser, an infectious disease specialist at New York University, notes that C. difficile infections* require "changes in the intestinal micro-ecology." The most common culprit in such changes is a course of antibiotics, even a brief course.

"Even a few doses have been shown to have effects on intestinal flora that can last for years," according to Dr. Blaser. He adds:

Most physicians think that prescribing antibiotics is relatively low-cost. But cost always depends on context and in the context of an epidemic (of C. difficile), the costs are going up.
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*See previous post