CASES of a potentially fatal superbug have been rising.

Forty patients have tested positive for clostridium difficile (C. diff) while staying at hospitals in Eastbourne and St Leonards since the beginning of last April.

This is putting East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust at risk of breaching its target of having no more than 41 cases.

C. diff causes diarrhoea and colitis, an infection of the intestines.

Elderly patients and those in intensive care are more vulnerable to the disease because they are often on antibiotics, which can help trigger the infection.

Infections usually respond well to treatment, with most people making a full recovery in a week or two.

However the symptoms come back in about one in five cases and treatment may need to be repeated.

This can mean a patient having to stay longer in hospital, which puts increased demand on beds at a time when services are under intense pressure.

A trust spokesman said there was a significant rise in cases between April and June last year, with 16 reported cases against a limit of ten for that quarter.

However the number of cases between October and December was not as high.

The spokesman said: “All hospital attributed cases of clostridium difficile infections are investigated by a multi-disciplinary team to identify any lessons learned in order to minimise the risk of further cases.”

The trust brought in a range of infection control measures in response to the rise in cases.

This included enhanced cleaning with a chlorine-based solution.

Closer checks have also been made to ensure all standards are consistently being met for cleanliness, hand hygiene and the use of protective equipment to reduce the risk of an infection spreading.

The trust has also revised its policy to limit the use of antibiotics associated with increased cases of c-diff.

Other trusts in the county are also coming close to breaching their limits.

Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Worthing Hospital and St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester, reported 33 cases between April and November against a year-long limit of 39.

Investigations into the cases identified there were lapses in care due to dirty commodes and issues with prescribing antibiotics.

A lack of availability of side rooms also had an impact because isolating a patient who has the bug can help reduce the risk of infection spreading to others.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, had 40 cases between April and December at its hospitals in Brighton and Haywards Heath against a target of 46.