A highly contagious superbug may be linked to the deaths of more than ten hospital patients over a six month period.

Figures obtained by The Argus reveal several patients who died in the county's hospitals had clostridium difficile mentioned on their death certificates as a possible contributory factor.

Health bosses have defended the numbers, saying that overall cases of patients contracting the bug in hospital or in the community is falling.

The information, released under the Freedom of Information Act, show that eight patients who died at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust had C.diff listed as a possible factor.

The trust runs the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath among others.

One patient had C.diff named as a direct cause but had already caught the bug before coming into hospital.

East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Eastbourne District General Hospital and the Conquest Hospitals in St Leonards, said no patients were found to have C.diff listed as a direct cause but seven had the bug mentioned as a factor.

The actual figure is believed to be higher because Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Worthing Hospitals and St Richard's Hospital in Chichester, said it did not have the figures available.

The overall recorded number of C.diff infections found among patients at the county's hospitals between April and November last year was 285, with Western Sussex hospitals recording the highest number with 151.

An East Sussex Hospitals spokesman said: “The trust has made great strides to reduce cases of C.diff and this has been reflected in the reduction in the number of cases over the last year.

There were 49 cases between April and November 2009, which is much reduced from a figure of 113 cases for the corresponding period the previous year.

“We are significantly below our set yearly limit of 140 cases and are now one of the best performing trusts in the NHS South East Coast region.

“Our success in reducing the number of cases is a reflection of the hard work of staff and a number of measures introduced, such as the monitoring of antibiotic therapy, deep cleaning processes and the introduction of a temporary cohort ward for C.diff patients."