C. diff rivals MRSA as the next deadly bacteria threat, experts say

C. diff has long been a common, usually benign bug associated with simple, easily treated diarrhea in older patients in hospitals and nursing homes. About 3 percent of healthy adults harbor the bacteria with no problem, but overuse of antibiotics has allowed the germ to develop resistance in recent years, creating the toxic new type that stumps traditional treatment. The potentially deadly bacteria responsible for at least 300,000 infections a year in U.S. hospitals, and experts now rank C. diff on par with MRSA as one of the top two infections acquired in hospitals.