A diet containing high levels of zinc may increase the likelihood of developing potentially life-threatening Clostridium difficile infection, particularly among individuals taking antibiotics, a new study finds.

Share on Pinterest Researchers say individuals at high risk of C. difficile infection should be cautious about using zinc supplements.

Published in the journal Nature Medicine, the study reveals how mice fed a high-zinc diet experienced changes to gut microbiota – the population of microbes in the intestine – and increased susceptibility to C. difficile infection.

C. difficile has emerged as one of the deadliest strains of bacteria in the United States, causing almost half a million infections in 2011 and killing around 29,000 people within 30 days of diagnosis.

The bacterium is shed in feces, and it is most commonly transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, such as toilets and bathing tubs.

C. difficile infection is common in healthcare settings; it is primarily transferred to patients through hand contact with medical staff who have touched a surface or object contaminated with the bacterium.

Individuals with prolonged use of antibiotics are known to be at increased risk of C. difficile infection; the drugs can alter gut microbiota, increasing infection susceptibility.

Now, study co-author Eric Skaar, Ph.D., professor of pathology, microbiology, and immunobiology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, and colleagues suggest high levels of dietary zinc may raise the risk of C. difficile infection in the same way.