On July 23, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY) introduced H.R. 9008 Now we are urging Congress, through sponsorship and passage of the “Peggy Lillis C. difficile Inclusion Act”, requiring that C. diff infections be added to the list of conditions monitored in the Nationally Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS). NNDSS is a CDC-led program supported by 3,000 state and local health departments that collects data from healthcare professionals, labs, and hospitals on 120 diseases. The program recognizes disease outbreaks, tracks the spread of disease, and helps state and local health departments better control disease.

C. difficile at a glance

While cases of healthcare-associated C. diff infections have declined in recent years, rates of community-associated cases have risen to 53% of infections. More patients are experiencing recurrent infections, and the severity and risk of sepsis and mortality of C. diff cases have increased. 

Currently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) policy requires that select hospitals collect data on CDI. However, the growing number of community cases remain unreported.

Take Action

We need your help to turn this bill into law. The first step is to get other congresspeople to join Representative Clarke as a co-sponsor. 

Collecting C. diff infection data will assist CDC, public health professionals, and clinicians improve antibiotic use and stewardship, infection control, and healthcare facility cleaning and disinfection–methods proven to reduce CDI and improve health outcomes.

Contact your representative and urge them to co-sponsor the “Peggy Lillis C. difficile Inclusion Act” to strengthen our public health preparedness and help end the harm caused by C. diff infections. With your help, we can see every C. diff infection counted.