New Delhi, Oct 14
The new antibiotic EVG7 has demonstrated the ability to fight the dangerous gut bacterium C. difficile with only a minimal dose, a new study showed.
C. difficile is a persistent intestinal bacterium that can cause severe illness, particularly in older people and those with weakened health.
The bacterium produces a toxin that leads to severe diarrhoea. Current treatments are not always effective, as the infection often returns.
"With existing antibiotics, C. difficile sometimes reappears just weeks after treatment," said researcher and lead author Elma Mons, from the varsity.
"This happens partly because the bacterium leaves behind spores, which can develop into new bacteria, causing the infection to return," Mons said.