A report has revealed cases of the deadly infection in the Kirkcaldy hospital rose in February to a rate that was significantly higher than expected.

Investigations were then undertaken at the hospital to prompt control measures and ensure there was no spread of the disease, which particularly affects elderly patients.

The Victoria Hospital had 24 cases of the infection during February - approximately 70 per cent higher than the national average of cases per 1000 beds.

The hospital also reported 11 C Diff associated deaths between December 2007 and May this year.

NHS Fife confirmed a total of 220 cases of the superbug within the same period, 93 of which were at the Victoria. However, all of these cases are reported to be unrelated, with no related outbreaks in Fife in the past two years.

The board also said the number of cases of C Diff has significantly decreased over the past six months, with a total of 52 cases Fife-wide in January to 25 in May of this year.

Doctor Gordon Birnie, medical director for NHS Fife operational division, said: "An episode of C difficile Associated Disease is usually triggered by treatment with broad spectrum antibiotics, which suppress the other organisms in the gut and allows C difficile to multiply. Prudent antibiotic prescribing is therefore a cornerstone of the work to reduce C Diff rates and our Anti-microbial Management Team (AMT) is active in promoting this.

"NHS Fife instituted earlier this year a set of revised and updated prescribing guidelines for antibiotic use.

"This is linked to a comprehensive training programme on antimicrobial prescribing for hospital medical staff ranging from consultants to newly appointed doctors, and medical staff are required to attend updates on infection control and antimicrobial prescribing on a yearly basis."

An NHS spokesman said that despite the investigation into the high figures the board has done, and continues to do, 'a substantial amount of work in this field'.

The board has said hand hygiene for staff and visitors is a 'key step' in reducing infections such as C Diff, with staff achieving 90 per cent overall hand hygiene.

Dr Birnie added: "NHS Fife is committed to making sure high standards are maintained and improved on, and training and awareness campaigns aimed at staff and visitors continue throughout the year with regular audits to check progress."

In Fife hospitals, all patients with diarrhoea are treated as infectious until proven otherwise.

Once a patient is diagnosed with C Diff, precautions are then put in place to prevent its transmission.