The number of Fife cases of the hospital superbug C Diff rose to 134 during the first quarter of the year. The prevalence of the deadly infection had increased from 123 cases between October and December 2007 according to statistics recently released by Health Protection Scotland.

A report by the agency shows C Diff, which is a particular risk for elde ADVERTISEMENT rly patients, is on the rise in the Kingdom, particularly during the winter months.

The number of cases had leapt up from just 72 between July and September 2007.

A spokesman for NHS Fife said the Fife figures reflected national trends.

He said: "NHS Fife is actively committed to participation in the national quarterly reporting of Clostridium difficile Associated Disease (CDAD) in the elderly since this project began in October 2006.

"Preliminary figures since March indicate a decrease from this level, and NHS Fife is committed to reducing it still further through careful antibiotic management, active surveillance, and good infection control practice."

C Diff has been linked to the clinical use of antibiotics and symptoms include diarrhoea. All patients in Fife suffering from diarrhoea are now tested for the disease.

The spokesman added: "Quarterly reporting has only been running for five quarters and it is therefore too early to comment on the overall picture.

"There is an indication from Health Protection Scotland that there may be seasonal variation with higher numbers of cases being seen in the winter months. This would not be surprising since more antibiotics are given at this time of year.

"The rise in cases during the winter is not confined to Fife but equally across NHS Scotland."