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Perhaps in addition to using a friendly strain of Clostridium difficile to crowd out the disease-causing variety in the gut, other species of benign bacteria could be reintroduced at the same time. This might be done inexpensively using “probiotic” bacterial cultures already being sold by some health food companies.

Michael Dunphy
Naperville, Ill.

Researchers have tested benign bacteria against C. difficile, with some reported success (SN: 2/2/02, p. 72). But a review last year concluded that there isn’t sufficient evidence for the routine use of probiotics to prevent or treat C. difficile infections .—B. Harder