Barwon’s challenge

Lab on vaccine quest

THE director of Barwon Health’s infectious diseases unit has warned of the dangers associated with unnecessary antibiotic use as he works to develop a vaccine to prevent a potentially fatal side-effect.

Speaking during Antibiotic Awareness Week, Professor Eugene Athan said the challenges associated with antibiotic resistance, resulting from overuse, were being felt globally.

Prof Athan said increasing antibiotic use had seen the emergence of clostridium difficile infection (CDI), a serious form of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea.

Overuse of antibiotics can potentially kill “good” bacteria in the gut, which have a role in protecting the body from infection, allowing CDI to multiply and cause symptoms such as profuse diarrhoea, high temperatures and abdominal pain.

Barwon Health currently treats about 100 patients for CDI per year but Prof Athan said there was no vaccination to prevent the infection.

His team is participating in a global vaccine trial, taking on the role of lead site for Australia.

The trial has 15 local participants with an aim to get about 50 people.

“The antibiotics that we use to treat CDI are not very effective, they’re probably about 70-80 per cent affective, so we’re looking for new solutions,” Prof Athan said.

“The current solutions that we have outside the current antibiotics would be to do a fecal microbiota transplant, where you get a member of the family to donate a fecal sample and then we introduce that stool sample into the bowel to try and re-establish a healthy bacterial balance.

“The best way . . . would be to enhance the immune system and have a vaccine to prevent infection.”

People aged over 50 who are interested in taking part in the trial can contact the Barwon Health’s Clinical Trials Unit.