Four patient deaths linked to infection

FOUR patients are now believed to have died after contracting Clostridium difficile (C diff) in a major acute hospital in Co Louth, it has emerged.

The Health Service Executive said 13 patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda had C diff and a further 20 were showing symptoms of the disease.

The health authority said it was not clear whether the hospital-acquired infection was linked to the deaths of the four patients over the past three weeks.