A C. difficile outbreak has been declared in one inpatient unit at the Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) following three hospital-acquired cases in the last week.
GBGH has consistently had a very low C. difficile case count and hasn’t experienced an outbreak in more than six years.
The hospital said patients related to the outbreak are in private rooms and that enhanced housekeeping is taking place, using cleaning agents that specifically target C. difficile bacteria.
The products used for C. difficile differ from cleaning products that are used to get rid of viruses like COVID-19.
“There are many factors which can contribute to C. difficile infections,” Angie Saini, the clinical services vice-president and chief nursing executive at GBGH, said in a statement.
“Most commonly, patients who have a history of C. difficile or who have been taking certain antibiotics for prolonged periods tend to be more susceptible. We have been proactive in identifying and testing the affected patients as soon as they presented with symptoms.”
Admissions and discharges to the unit are unimpacted.