St. Michael's Hospital has an outbreak of C. difficile, health officials have confirmed.
Seven patients being treated at the downtown Toronto hospital have contracted the infection. Two people were admitted with the disease while five others became sick while being treated for unrelated health issues.
The hospital has cancelled surgeries in the cardiovascular ward as a result and visitations have been restricted as a precaution.
A number of other patients are being monitored for symptoms of the infection.
The first case of C. difficile at the hospital was four days ago.
Clostridium difficile is a bacterium that is carried in the intestine. However, the bacterium is aggravated when the infected person is taking certain types of antibiotics. The antibiotics disturb the bacterial balance of the intestine which allows C. difficile to flourish.
It's also easy for hospital patients to contract the illness when they come into contact with C. difficile spores.
Many people suffering from the illness contract diarrhea but the disease could also lead to a dangerous inflammation of the colon. Some of the symptoms of C. difficile are diarrhea, high fever, abdominal pain, nausea and blood in the stool.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, about 5,000 people died each year from the disease in the U.S.
