A new case of hospital-acquired C. difficile at Guelph General Hospital was identified here on Aug. 3.
In addition, another patient was admitted with community-acquired C. difficile, which brings the total number of patients currently in the hospital with C. difficile to four.
Hospital officials continue to stress the importance of good hand hygiene.
Anyone coming into the hospital is asked to clean their hands frequently – as they enter and leave the building, as they enter and leave patient rooms, and after touching commonly used surfaces such as door handles.
C. difficile presents an ongoing, serious challenge for all hospitals. Currently, seven hospitals in the province are experiencing an outbreak of C. difficile and there have been over two dozen deaths.
The illness causes diarrhea and is one of the most common infections in hospitals and long-term care facilities. People most at risk after exposure are typically of advanced age, with underlying illnesses, who are also taking antibiotics.
Antibiotics kill off the healthy bacteria in the bowel, which allows C. difficile to flourish and cause illness.
The deadly intestinal bacteria, which is spread by contact, has been linked to 20 deaths at Ontario hospitals since May. There have been 18 cases of the disease being contacted at the Guelph hospital since the outbreak on May 4.
It is in the community, too. Good hand hygiene helps reduce the chance of it being brought in from the outside.
