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Three die in C.diff bug outbreak Three die in C.diff bug outbreak
(about 2 hours later)
Three patients at an East Sussex hospital have died following an outbreak of Clostridium difficile.Three patients at an East Sussex hospital have died following an outbreak of Clostridium difficile.
Officials at Eastbourne District General Hospital confirmed the deaths had occurred since January. Eastbourne District General Hospital said the deaths had occurred since January and the superbug had contributed to the death of another 10.
Several other patients are being treated for the superbug, and wards have been closed for deep cleaning. Seventeen other patients are being treated for the infection, and wards have been closed for deep cleaning.
The hospital was forced to close to new admissions earlier this month after six cases of C.diff were discovered. New patients were taken to other hospitals. The hospital was forced to close to new admissions earlier this month after six cases of C.diff were discovered.
C.diff can cause symptoms from mild diarrhoea to severe inflammation of the bowel. New patients were taken to other hospitals at the time.
It is a bacterium found in the gut and in healthy adults and children it rarely causes problems. We are doing a cycle programme of deep cleaning in all of our ward areas, also using specialised equipment Jane Hentley, chief nurse
But people over the age of 65 years are more susceptible to contracting infection, particularly if they are taking antibiotics which disrupt the "normal" bacteria in the gut. Jane Hentley, chief nurse, said the cases were due to a higher than average number of admissions over the winter months.
"We've had about 20% more patients coming into hospital and those patients have been elderly and frail and have had flu-like symptoms and chest infections, which has required them to have antibiotics."
She said that had made them much more vulnerable and at risk of contracting the superbug.
"We are doing a cycle programme of deep cleaning in all of our ward areas, also using specialised equipment, using hydrogen peroxide, and we believe that's been instrumental in helping us to manage this infection."
Ms Hentley said the hospital had also set up an isolation ward to care for the 17 affected patients.
Illness symptoms
Most of the patients who died were described as elderly and frail, the East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust said.
Another nine patients who died were diagnosed with C.diff but they overcame the bug before their deaths and it was not deemed to be a contributory factor.
It said since 1 January there have been a total of 62 cases of C.diff, including patients who were admitted with the infection from the community.
C.diff, a bacterium found in the gut, can cause symptoms from mild diarrhoea to severe inflammation of the bowel. In healthy adults and children it rarely causes problems.
But people over the age of 65 are more susceptible to contracting infection, particularly if they are taking antibiotics which disrupt the "normal" bacteria in the gut.