C diff infections increase by 6%

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There were 10,586 cases of C diff in patients aged 65 and over between January and March this year - a 6% rise on the previous quarter.

A total of 966 cases of MRSA were reported - representing an 11% drop on the previous quarter.

Annual figures showed a decline for both infections, with a 30% drop in MRSA in the financial year 2007/08 compared with 2006/07.

C diff figures have been collected on a calendar year basis.

Between January and December 2007 there were 50,392 cases of C diff - a 9% drop on figures for January to December 2006, when 55,635 cases were reported.

The figures were released by the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

The C diff figures for January to March 2008 showed a 32% reduction compared with the same quarter last year (15,644 cases).

The HPA's third annual report on infections said there were "early indications" that C diff infections were falling.

However, changes to reporting systems meant more time was needed to see if falling numbers heralded the same type of downturn seen for MRSA, it said.