Glasgow The number of pensioners in whom the bug Clostridium difficile has been diagnosed is at record levels, says a report published yesterday. Figures showed that there were 1,861 cases of C.diff among the over-65s between January and March this year - a 16 per cent rise from the last quarter of 2007.

There were 1,775 cases between January and March last year in the same age group. Health professionals said that the rise could be down to “seasonal fluctuations” because surveillance started only in late 2006. An outbreak of C.diff earlier this year at the Vale of Leven Hospital in Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire, infected more than 50 and was the main cause of death of nine people.

The new figures were released as part of a series of reports showing a drop in cases of the hospital bug MRSA and improvements in hand hygiene. More than a quarter of those who tested positive had not been admitted to a hospital in the 12 weeks before they fell ill.

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