Panic as superbug kills three more
FEARS were heightened across Ulster yesterday following news that three more people have died from the deadly superbug Clostridium Difficile.
The Northern Health Trust confirmed that it brings the total number of deaths from the virus in its area to 23 since last summer – three this month, seven last month and 13 from July to December 2007.
It's now thought the number of patients who have contracted C Difficile in the Antrim area since January last year has reached approximately 375, with the highest number of incidents (45) recorded last month.
Meanwhile it has emerged that Ulster's four other trusts – the Southern, South Eastern, Western and Belfast – were unable to provide figures of the number of people who have died or been affected by the hospital bug.
Reacting to this Northern Ireland's chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride said statistics should perhaps be published more frequently due to increased anxiety and interest on the subject from the public.
"We need to reassure the public that we are doing everything we possibly can do to deal with this," he said.
Doctors believe the outbreak of C Difficile could be linked to a recently identified infectious strain of ribotype 027.
East Londonderry Assembly member John Dallat said yesterday said the outbreak of C Difficile and MRSA was "sapping the confidence of patients waiting for admissions".
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Weather for Belfast
Monday 28 May 2012
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Temperature: 12 C to 23 C
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