It is a sad fact but the notorious hospital superbug Clostridium difficile contributed to more than 2,000 deaths last year.

Now Scientists at Aberdeen University have identified a cocktail of six naturally occurring friendly bacteria that effectively suppressed a highly contagious strain of C.diff in laboratory mice.

It is hoped that the discovery of this bacterial cocktail could prove a potent new weapon against the hospital superbug Clostridium difficile and lead to new ways of treating and preventing C. diff infection without having to resort to antibiotics.

Researcher, Professor Harry Flint, said: “The mixture of six bacterial species effectively and reproducibly suppressed the C. difficile supershedder state in mice, restoring the healthy bacterial diversity of the gut.”

Source:  The Scotsman    ;       Journal of Public Library of Science Pathogens. (PLOS Pathogens)