During flu season most hospitals restrict outside access. But infection control specialists know that one of their biggest battles is super bugs - bacteria that flourishes in a hospital environment.
Quebec hospitals are looking at an alarming death rate from Clostridium difficile.

The prevalence of the bacteria in Quebec hospitals was brought to public attention in August, when a Sherbrooke doctor concluded it had killed at least a dozen of his patients.

Since then, stringent infection controls have helped affected hospitals bring down rates, although not to pre-outbreak levels.

Couillard said his department would release provincewide data on C. difficile at the end of November. Until then, he reminded hospitals they’re required by law to report all new cases to the province as soon as they’re discovered.

The increase in deaths appears to be caused by a deadly new strain of C. difficile that has grown particularly hardy and resistant to treatment.

Earlier this month, U.S. disease experts said they had identified an epidemic strain of C. difficile that shared several virulent characteristics with the predominant strain in Quebec.

The study of 10 hospitals identifed 109 deaths in the first six months of this year. More on Clostirdium Difficle here.