MRSA and C. Difficile continue to fall

10 September 2009

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has today published its latest quarterly figures on MRSA (meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) bloodstream infections and C. difficile (Clostridium difficile) infections for the April to June 2009 period.

The latest figures on MRSA bloodstream infections show that there were 509 cases reported in England during the April to June quarter of 2009. This represents a 39.3% decrease in cases from the same quarter of last year (April to June 2008) when 839 cases were reported and a 26.7% decrease from the previous quarter (January to March 2009) when 694 cases were reported.

The latest C. difficile figures show that there were 6,855 cases reported in patients aged two years and over during the April to June 2009 quarter. This represents a 37% decrease in cases from the same quarter last year (April to June 2008) when 10,883 cases were reported and an 18% decrease in reported cases from the previous quarter (January to March 2009) when 8,357 cases were reported.

Dr Christine McCartney, Executive Director for the HPA's Healthcare Associated Infection and Anti-Microbial Resistance Programme said:

"The continued reductions in healthcare associated infections over the past year and in recent months show that infection control is still top of the agenda for the NHS and tackling healthcare associated infections remain a priority for the NHS.

"These are impressive results but we cannot afford to become complacent. Health workers must continue to use effective infection control measures in order to drive down infections further."

Ends

Notes to editors

Table 1: Quarterly reports of MRSA bacteraemia - April 2006 to June 2009

Quarter	Reports of MRSA bacteraemia
April 2006 – June 2006	1,742
July 2006 – September 2006	1,651
October 2006 – December 2006	1,543
January 2007 – March 2007	1,447
April 2007 – June 2007	1,306
July 2007 – September 2007	1,083
October 2007 – December 2007	1,092
January 2008 – March 2008	970
April 2008 – June 2008	839
July 2008 – September 2008	724
October 2008 – December 2008	678
January 2009-March 2009	694
April 2009-June2009	509

 

 

Table 2: Quarterly reports of C. difficile infections - April 2007 to June 2009

	Number of C. difficile reports in patients aged 2-64 years		Number of C. difficile reports in patients aged ≥65 years		Number of C. difficile reports in patients aged ≥2 years
Quarter	Total cases	‘Trust apportioned’	Total cases	‘Trust apportioned’	Total cases	‘Trust apportioned’
April – June 2007	2,940	1,715	13,924	8,725	16,864	10,440
July – September 2007	2,534	1,398	10,885	6,517	13,419	7,915
October – December 2007	2,236	1,200	10,012	5,957	12,248	7,157
January – March 2008	2,349	1,332	10,618	6,598	12,967	7,930
April – June 2008	2,192	1,142	8,691	5,016	10,883	6,158
July – September 2008	1,886	896	7,062	3,790	8,948	4,686
October – December 2008	1,652	812	6,255	3,497	7,907	4,309
January – March 2009	1,581	786	6,776	3,983	8,357	4,769
April – June 2009	1,371	684	5,484	2,909	6,855	3,593

* 'Trust apportioned' refers to specimens taken from a patient three or more days after admission into hospital.

For further information on healthcare associated infections please visit the website http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&Page&HPAwebAutoListName/Page/1191942126522?p=1191942126522 
To download a copy of the Health Protection Agency's Annual Healthcare Associated Infections Report please visit the website http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1252326221795?p=1249920576124 

Change to mandatory surveillance publication format
Later this year the Health Protection Agency will be changing the way it publishes MRSA and C. difficile data. Currently data are made available on HPA's website on a quarterly basis.

However, HPA has been working to provide MRSA bloodstream and C. difficile infection counts in a more timely fashion, with the aim of benefiting those concerned with infection control and performance management from the Trust level to the Department of Health.

As of 2 November 2009 MRSA bloodstream infection and C. difficile infection in England counts will be made available online on the first working week day of each month.

A commentary on epidemiology will continue to be produced on a quarterly basis and it is alongside this commentary that HPA will press release infection counts.

For further details on this alteration to publication dates please visit the website - http://www.hpa.org.uk/hpr/news/default.htm#schedule 

For further information on this press release please contact the Health Protection Agency's Centre for Infections press office on:

Georgina Fletcher 020 8327 6690
David Daley  020 8327 6647
Alexandra Baker  020 8327 7098
Louise Brown  020 8327 7080
Kate Swan  020 8327 7097

Last reviewed: 1 June 2010