One of the consequences of the “Antibiotic Era” has been the increased occurrence of infections caused by Clostridioides difficile, also known as “Cdiff”, which in some cases can be life-threatening. Antibiotics alter the microbes that live in the gastrointestinal tract (the “microbiome”) allowing Cdiff to thrive and cause disease. Dr. Vincent Young is professor in the departments of Internal Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan Medical School. Dr. Young is an expert on Cdiff and its interactions with the microbiome.
Dr. Young discusses how Cdiff infections have increased over the past several decades, how fecal transplants have been wildly successful at treating recurrent Cdiff infections, how banking fecal samples can be beneficial, how the gastrointestinal microbiome can influence Cdiff infection, and how playing keyboard in a band has been an important side job. The MicroCase for listeners to solve is about Speedy Marathon, a cross-country runner who gets more than just a shrimp on the barbie when he runs Down Under.
Participants:
- Karl Klose, Ph.D. (UTSA)
- Vincent Young, M.D., Ph.D. (Univ. of Michigan)
- Janakiram Seshu, Ph.D. (UTSA)
- Mylea Echazarreta (UTSA)
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