Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 304: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the level of prevalence of the hospital bug clostridium difficile; the hospitals in which this bug is present; the action required to eradicate same; the number of people known to have become infected; the number who have died as a consequence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6058/07]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 347: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the extent of the prevalence of the clostridium difficile bacteria in hospitals here; and the measures she is taking to prevent patients becoming infected. [6376/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 304 and 347 together.

Clostridium difficile is not a notifiable disease and, as a result, it is difficult to quantify the extent of infection in the health care system. However, Clostridium difficile infection was examined in the Third Prevalence Survey of Health Care Associated Infections (HCAIs) in acute hospitals in 2006. The survey found that thirty-six patients had Clostridium difficile representing 0.5% of patients studied. Clostridium difficile infection increases with age and is eight times more common in patients over 65 years compared to those under the age of 65 years. The emergence of more virulent strains of Clostridium difficile which is partly due to over use of antibiotics underlines the importance of strict antibiotic stewardship in our health care system.

Currently, acute hospitals collect information on HCAIs at a local level and there is no national surveillance scheme that collects comparable data. The appointment of infection control nurses, surveillance scientists and antibiotic pharmacists is necessary to commence a national surveillance programme and some of these staff are already in place and the HSE are currently recruiting additional staff in this area.

It is difficult to identify the number of fatalities attributable to Clostridium difficile as many people also have significant co-morbidity factors.

Measures to control the emergence and spread of HCAIs are necessary because there are fewer options available for the treatment of resistant infections and because these strains spread amongst vulnerable at-risk patients. The prudent use of antibiotics underpins any approach to the control of antibiotic resistant bacteria. This, together with good professional practice and routine infection control precautions, such as hand hygiene, constitute the major measures in controlling and preventing healthcare-associated infection.

While many HCAIs are not preventable, we can make every effort to reduce the rates of infection and to treat them promptly when they occur.