The findings suggest the gut microbiota — microorganisms that live in the intestines — could be a therapeutic target to prevent hospital-acquired lung infections.

Roughly 8 in 10 parents surveyed across the state said they are concerned about communicable diseases like measles if others are not immunized and agreed that immunizations are important to protect their children from serious infections.

Gram-negative bacteria bloodstream infections are a major cause of illness and death worldwide, especially where antimicrobial resistance is more common.  

Participants in the BEETHOVEN study will be randomized to receive two C. difficile vaccine doses six months apart, or a placebo, to learn if an investigational vaccine is safe and can help prevent C. difficile infection in people age 65 and older.

“These antibodies hold significant promise to be used in people who are at risk of measles, but who cannot respond to the measles vaccine due to their weakened immune systems," said James Crowe Jr., MD, whose research team isolated the human monoclonal antibodies.

Gaddy is a leading researcher in bacterial pathogenesis, innate immunity and reproductive immunology.

Treatment options are limited for the more than 500,000 people in the U.S. who are diagnosed annually with C. diff infections, but researchers are working on potential vaccines, therapeutic antibodies and — most recently — nanobodies, to prevent and treat C. diff infections.