Part-time duty consists of five Reserve and two Guard branches. Each branch varies greatly in service commitment, location and how its members contribute to the overall mission of protecting our country, though all branches are on the same rank-based pay scale.
C. difficile colitis is associated most strongly with the use of the following antibiotics: fluoroquinolones, cephalosporins, and clindamycin. Some research suggests the routine use of antibiotics in the raising of livestock is contributing to outbreaks of bacterial infections such as C. difficile.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers C. difficile infections one of the most urgent bacterial threats. C. difficile infections account for 15,000 deaths each year in the U.S. alone. Existing interventions for C. difficile infections include antibiotics, which have the undesirable side effect of damaging the gut microbiome, leaving patients vulnerable to re-infection and building resistance to antibiotics.