Can chickens give you C. Diff??!!!

Hello everyone?

I have been diagnosed with C. Diff 2 weeks ago my Dr. Started me on antibiotic treatment of Fladgyl 500mg 3x per day and a probiotic 3x a day as well for 2 weeks. I'm almost done my meds and still having bad symptoms. I doubt my chickens could of caused it, since I've had them since February. But just to ease my mind does anyone think I could if gotten it from them?! I use gloves when cleaning the coopn and clorox and wash my hands with warm water when I'm done. Im thinking I got it from the seafood at my work after i started working there is when my symptoms started. Just want opinions.

I am wondering the same thing... I was just diagnosed with it as well. If so I know it may be my fault, I do not wash my eggs off, if there is poop on them I just crack them in the pan and I eat the egg runny. So a small, amount of poop may fall into the pan. I guess I was thinking that eating dirt makes you stronger, but perhaps not.

Welcome to BYC. Chickens probably wouldn't have caused it--I believe that C. difficile is usually caused from taking antibiotics frequently, but here are some of the causes:

Risk Factors for C. diff

Although C. diff occasionally causes problems in healthy people, it is most likely to affect patients in hospitals or long-term care facilities. Most have conditions that require long-term treatment withantibiotics, which kill off other intestinal bacteria that keep C. diff in check. While use of any antibiotic can potentially lead to C. diffovergrowth, it most commonly occurs with the use of an antibiotic that is broad-spectrum, or able to kill a wide variety of bacteria. It also happens more often when multiple antibiotics are needed to fight infection and when the antibiotics need to be taken for a long period of time.
Other risk factors for C. diff infection include:

• Surgery of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract
• Diseases of the colon such as inflammatory bowel disease orcolorectal cancer
• A weakened immune system
• Use of chemotherapy drugs
• Previous C. diff infection
• Advanced age -- 65 or older
• Kidney disease
• Use of drugs called proton-pump inhibitors, which lessen stomachacid

I know this is an old post, but no you did not get c.diff from your chickens. My dad (who is 81 years old) just recently suffered from a c.diff infection. C.diff is a bacteria that many people carry in the large intestine.

Most people who carry it are those that have spent time in hospitals or extended living facilities such as nursing homes. Many people who work in these facilities are also carriers.

Normally, your good intestinal flora (the goodies found in probiotics) keep the c.diff bacteria in check. However, if you have been treated with antibiotics, especially multiple times in a short period, the good bacteria are unfortunately killed along with the bad......except for the c.diff. They are then able to rage out of control and produce a toxin that makes you sick, and spores that can be transferred to other people.

These spores can only be killed using 10% bleach in water. Hand washing when in contact with someone who has had c.diff and is showing symptoms is a must, because hand sanitizer DOES NOT kill c.diff spores.

I know this is lengthy, but I hope it helps.

Yes, old post. I am struggling with it now. Yes! You can get it from chickens, farm animals... Finding that it isn't only transferred from person to person, but can be from animal to person. Not just from having used antibiotics. I was not. I was hatching however, and did the same last year same time..had the same symptoms as now, only did not get diagnosed last year. Pretty sure it was my first bout. I have a compromised immune system. I sadly just placed all of my chickens..I'm 67 years old.