LONDON, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- British officials say the number of deaths caused by hospital "superbugs" -- antibiotic-resistant bacteria -- is increasing.
Britain's Office for National Statistics data reveals that in 2003-04 the number of death certificates in which Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus was mentioned increased 22 percent, to 1,168. That doesn't necessarily mean the "superbug" was the cause of death, but just that it contributed to it, the BBC reported Thursday.
The statistics show most of the deaths involved older people and the rates were higher among men than women.
The chairman of the British Patients Association, Chairman Michael Summers, said he was disappointed by the new figures.
"It is clear that MRSA and hospital infections are winning the war in many of our wards," he told the BBC, but noted, "Simple hygiene measures, such as washing hands, could have a huge impact and should be taken by everyone in hospitals."
Tony Field, chairman of MRSA Support, a patient group, said the problem was that Britain's National Health Service was focused on controlling the bacteria, rather than preventing it.
