Dangerous infection tied to hospitals now becoming common outside them

Named from the Greek kloster, for spindle, a class of bacteria known as Clostridia abounds in nature. Staining deep violet under the microscope, they appear as slender rods with a bulge at one end, like a tadpole or maple seed. They thrive in soil, marine sediments and humans. They live on our skin and in our intestines. And sometimes, they can kill you.