Shot soldier contracts MRSA bug

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/west_midlands/6221379.stm

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A British soldier who was shot in Afghanistan contracted MRSA while he recovered at a Birmingham hospital.

Sgt David "Paddy" Caldwell, 32, was diagnosed with the superbug on a ward at Selly Oak Hospital, which treats injured service men and women.

It is understood Sgt Caldwell has since recovered from MRSA.

The paratrooper, from the 3rd Battalion of the British Regiment, was shot in the neck by machine gun fire in an attack against Taleban forces.

Cash to help

A spokeswoman from the Department of Health (DOH) said it was unable to comment on Sgt Caldwell's condition but said reports of MRSA were taken very seriously.

"In the new operating framework, the government has put aside £50m of capital which trusts can bid for to tackle MRSA.

"This means that £300,000 is available per trust. This money can be used for improving washing facilities and building better toilets."

MRSA is a common bacteria with a number of different strains that can cause a number of symptoms including redness and swelling at the site of infection.

It can be passed on by doctors and nurses if they do not wash their hands between seeing different patients. Dirty conditions in hospitals are also seen as an environment in which MRSA can thrive.