H1N1 measures curb C. difficile in Quebec

The fight against the swine flu seems to be having another positive effect in Quebec hospitals — combating the deadly C. difficile bacteria, Dr. Alain Poirier, the province’s chief public health officer, said Friday.

Last month, Quebec hospitals registered their lowest rate of infections from C. difficile in five years. And the swine flu pandemic may be partially responsible, Poirier said.

In October, there were 4.3 infections for every 10,000 patients in hospital — the lowest level since the province began closely tracking the C. difficile bacteria five years ago, Poirier said.

A major change in hospitals between then and now is that visitors and patients are constantly being reminded to wash their hands because of the H1N1 virus.

"Generally speaking, all the population has now understood that washing your hands is good for influenza," Poirier said.  "But it's also good for a lot of other diseases transmitted by contamination of your hands."

Quebec began tracking C. difficile after a deadly epidemic in 2003, when most of the victims were elderly patients already in hospital. The bacterial spores are very difficult to clean off or kill.

Health-care officials are also reiterating the importance of getting vaccinated against the H1N1 virus.

So far, a total of 2.4 million Quebecers have received the vaccine, or about one-third of the population. On Thursday, a record 149,000 Quebecers were vaccinated.

Poirier said he hopes half the Quebec population will have been vaccinated by next weekend.

Starting Monday, the vaccine will be available to the general public in all regions of the province.