Maribeth Nicholson

February 18, 2026

Vanderbilt research offers new hope for preventing repeated C. diff infections

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.

By Bill Snyder

January 28, 2026

Gut microbiome differs according to C. diff symptom status

In a study of children with symptomatic or asymptomatic C. diff, symptom status loomed as the strongest association with differences in gut microbial abundance and diversity.

By Paul Govern

April 13, 2023

Children’s mystery symptoms may be alpha-gal syndrome

A Vanderbilt study found that some children with mystery digestive symptoms may actually have undiagnosed alpha-gal syndrome, commonly known as the red meat allergy linked to tick bites.

By Nancy Humphrey

November 3, 2022

C. diff infections drop in children

The number of pediatric infections caused by Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) decreased from 2013 to 2019, likely due to an increase in antibiotic stewardship programs and improved hospital contact protocols, Vanderbilt researchers found.

By Sarah E. Glass

May 1, 2017

Clue to recurrent C. diff infection

Children who experience recurrent C. diff infections may have fecal inflammatory markers that could predict risk and improve management of these infections.

By Sanjay Mishra

September 12, 2013

Options to treat childhood C. diff. infection studied

After more than a month in and out of the hospital with her daughter, Kynslee, Kristen Allen felt she was at the end of her rope. Last spring, the nearly 2-year-old Columbia girl developed diarrhea that wouldn’t go away after taking antibiotics for repeated ear infections.

By VUMC News and Communications