Hope over jab for lethal NHS bug

There are over 50,000 cases of C difficile in hospitals each year

British scientists are developing a vaccine to combat the life-threatening Clostridium difficile hospital bug.

Cambridge-based biotech firm Acambis has already carried out initial trials and is now hoping to test it in NHS hospitals later this year.

It is thought to be the only vaccine in production for the infection.

There are over 50,000 C. difficile cases a year among elderly patients in England and it is linked to nearly 4,000 deaths.

The bug can cause diarrhoea and in some cases severe bowel inflammation.

It is a no-brainer. The best way to tackle this is through a vaccine and the results so far are encouraging Professor Mark Enright, of Imperial College London

Unlike MRSA, it is not resistant to antibiotics, but once an individual has been infected the bug can often reappear.

The vaccine being developed works like a tetanus jab - it focuses on the toxins produced by the infection, rather than the infection itself.

Trials on 200 patients showed it was effective at combating one of the main toxins in 100% of cases and a second main toxin in 75% of cases.

Scientists hope that a course of three injections will provide long-lasting protection for over 10 years.

Results

Acambis vice president Dr Michael Watson said: "The toxins work together to blow up cells.

"If you imagine them as a dangerous criminal, the vaccine essentially handcuffs it.

"It still looks like a dangerous criminal but it can no longer use the knife or shoot the gun."

Infection experts have welcomed the move.

Professor Mark Enright, from Imperial College London, said: "It is a no-brainer. The best way to tackle this is through a vaccine and the results so far are encouraging.

"But we need to see how it works on a mass scale. If that is successful, this could be given to elderly patients during GP visits in the same way as the flu vaccine."

A Department of Health spokesman said the development of the vaccine was "welcome" and confirmed discussions were under way about government involvement in trials.