Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops dealing with an outbreak of C. difficile

For some people it will make them feel very sick. For others it can be deadly.

Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops is dealing with an outbreak of C. difficile and say seven cases have been confirmed with seven more suspected.

All of the affected patients are being quarantined in one area to prevent the spread of infection and the hospital says the containment efforts are working.

They are cleaning twice a day in the affected ward and visitors to those patients are asked to wear a gown.

“We’re asking family and friends when they come in to be really diligent about their hand washing,” says Marg Brown from Royal Inland. “Don’t be using the bathroom facilities that are in that unit or in the patient’s room. It’s not uncommon that somebody will scoot in the bathroom and use the toilet instead of using the public facilities. So really discourage that.”

“Soap and water hand washing is just huge in this.”

The infection is fairly common in hospitals, with hundreds of confirmed cases across Canada every year.

– With files from CFJC News