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CDC

National Healthcare Safety Network

C. difficile Infections

Hospitals Reported

3,677

general acute care hospitals reported in 2024

Reported C. difficile Infections Among Hospitalized Patients

99,500

C. difficile Infections in 2024

Changes over Time

63%

significant decrease in SIR from 2015 national baseline to 2024 (lower SIRs are better)

HAI Profile

C. difficile Infections

The Standardized Infection Ratio for C. difficile Infections was 0.38 across general acute care hospitals in 2024.

Current Threat Report
Threat Level
Urgent
Estimated Cases
223,900
Estimated Deaths
12,800
Healthcare Costs (USD)
$1 B

Source: Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2019

Years Included
2015 - 2024
Resources

HAI Progress

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is committed to protecting patients and healthcare workers from adverse healthcare events and promoting safety, quality, and value in healthcare delivery. Preventing HAIs is a top priority for CDC and its partners in public health and healthcare. The National and State HAIs Progress Report provides a summary of select HAIs across three healthcare settings: acute care hospitals (ACHs), inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) and long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs).

C. difficile Infections

63%

Lower Compared to Nat'l Baseline

This report, summarized by state, is based on 2024 data published in 2025, and uses the 2015 Baseline and risk-adjusted models. HAI data summarized at the hospital level are published on the Care Compare website. For detailed HAI-specific information regarding the current national baseline and risk adjustments, see the SIR Guide (2015 Baseline).

National Data for General Acute Care Hospitals, Year 2024

Key Data Points
HAI Progress Significant Decrease

National ACHs reported a significant decrease in CDIs between 2023 and 2024.

11%

Among the 3,677 national ACHs with enough data to calculate an SIR, 11% had an SIR significantly higher (worse) than 0.38, the value of the national SIR.

HAI Progress Legend

SIR is significantly higher (worse) than comparison group.

increase

Significant increase from the previous year.

SIR increase or decrease is not significantly different than comparison group.

No significant change from the previous year.

SIR is significantly lower (better) than comparison group.

HAI Progress Significant Decrease

Significant decrease from the previous year.

Geographic Location

Occurrences of C. difficile Infections vary across U.S. states and territories. Like the differing rates of antibiotic usage and resistance in the U.S., the variation in the occurrence of C. difficile Infections depends on many factors, such as the number of preventive programs in place, individual healthcare organization performance, other patient health conditions, and the environmental conditions within each location.

CDI SIR and Hospitalized Infections by State Map

This map displays the variation in State-level SIRs and the number of patients hospitalized with C. difficile Infections across the U.S. for general acute care hospitals in 2024.
Geographic data
Locationvalue
Alabama0.47
Alaska0.34
Arizona0.39
Arkansas0.34
California0.42
Colorado0.32
Connecticut0.36
Delaware0.43
District of Columbia0.55
Florida0.25
Georgia0.32
GuamInsufficient Data
Hawaii0.45
Idaho0.42
Illinois0.4
Indiana0.4
Iowa0.45
Kansas0.3
Kentucky0.33
Louisiana0.38
Maine0.29
Maryland0.46
Massachusetts0.53
Michigan0.39
Minnesota0.43
Mississippi0.36
Missouri0.38
Montana0.39
Nebraska0.44
Nevada0.25
New Hampshire0.59
New Jersey0.34
New Mexico0.62
New York0.38
North Carolina0.31
North Dakota0.31
Ohio0.44
Oklahoma0.25
Oregon0.48
Pennsylvania0.5
Puerto Rico0.26
Rhode Island0.3
South Carolina0.34
South Dakota0.5
Tennessee0.27
Texas0.28
Utah0.4
Vermont0.64
Virginia0.29
Virgin IslandsInsufficient Data
Washington0.47
West Virginia0.56
Wisconsin0.57
Wyoming0.39

CDI Standardized Infection Ratio by State List

This graph shows the national SIR for C. difficile Infections compared to state SIRs, in 2024 for general acute care hospitals.
CDI SIR BY STATE — GENERAL (2024)
statevalue
United States0.38
Alabama0.47
Alaska0.34
Arizona0.39
Arkansas0.34
California0.42
Colorado0.32
Connecticut0.36
Delaware0.43
District of Columbia0.55

Changes Over Time

Based on 2024 data, most HAIs have decreased when compared to the previous year and when compared to the national baseline SIR of 1. Although, this is promising news, continual action is needed at every level of public health and healthcare to eliminate infections that commonly threaten hospital patients.

CDI SIR and Hospitalized Infections Changes Over Time

This graph displays the changes over time in Standardized Infection Ratio (SIR) for the United States.
CDI SIR BY YEAR — GENERAL
yearStandardized Infection Ratio
20150.99
20160.92
20170.8
20180.71
20190.58
20200.52
20210.5
20220.48
20230.42
20240.38

Footnotes

  • Data profiles for Healthcare-Associated Infections include information for Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection (CLABSI), Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI), Surgical Site Infections (SSI), Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infections, MRSA Bacteremia, and Ventilator-Associated Events (VAE).
  • All HAI data provided on this page are maintained by the CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).
  • General Acute Care Hospitals: general, children's, oncology, military/VA, and other specialty hospitals.
  • Data are only displayed for U.S. states/territories for which at least 5 facilities reported an HAI in the given report year.
  • HAI information available in the Patient Safety Portal include data from 2015 - 2024.
  • Map legends are classified using the Jenks Natural Breaks method.
  • See the Current HAI Progress Report Technical Appendix for the full methodology and details about the data. Past HAI Progress Reports are described in the Data Archive.