Isolation wards are to be opened at two hospitals following an outbreak of a highly infectious bug.

A 16-bed ward will be operating at Worthing Hospital by the end of the month to bring down the number of cases of clostridium difficile (C diff).

A smaller ward will be earmarked at Southlands Hospital in Shoreham.

Hospital managers stepped up action after 33 incidents of C diff were reported across both hospitals in April and 26 in March.

Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust is the second in the county to introduce this type of ward and follows the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

The Royal Sussex has had a ward in place for almost six months and there has been a drop in cases.

C diff is the major cause of diarrhoea and colitis, an infection of the intestines.

The bacterium multiplies when antibiotics disturb the natural balance of the body, causing complications.

It can spread on the hands of those who have contact with infected patients.

Trust board members were told this week that senior staff have been in talks with West Sussex Primary Care Trust, the Health Protection Agency and the Department of Health. In the meantime the trust has stepped up infection control measures, raising awareness of the importance of people washing their hands thoroughly.

Managers are also checking the number of cases daily to monitor performance.

Medical director Mike Rymer said this was already starting to have an impact and figures were going down.

He said: "The hospital has been very busy in recent weeks and bed occupancy rates are high which can have an impact.

"C diff is related to antibiotic use across the community and we are in talks with the PCT about this.

"We have taken a lot of measures to deal with this and are constantly investigating and overseeing what is happening."

The trust, which normally averages between 16 and 18 cases of C diff a month, has set itself a target of having no more than 200 cases over the next year.