FOUR intensive care patients at Southampton General Hospital are today still fighting the potentially deadly superbug MRSA.

The patients, who were diagnosed with the infection yesterday, have been moved to a separate part of the ward and staff treating them are required to wear plastic aprons and gloves to prevent the spread of the bug, which is passed on by hand.

Visitors to the unit, which houses eight other uninfected patients, are also being asked to wear the protective clothing.

No other patients have been infected with the bug since the four cases were discovered yesterday.

MRSA - methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus - is an infection which can kill people with weak immune systems and those with open wounds, if they become infected.

The bug is always in the community and can affect people without them even knowing they have the infection.

But in those with weakened immune systems - such as hospital patients and the elderly - it can cause fevers, blood poisoning and pneumonia.

Two of the four patients infected were ready to leave the intensive care unit when they were diagnosed. One was brought in from the community and another was transferred to Southampton from another hospital.

Hospital spokesman Marilyn Kay said it was not possible to tell how long the patients would take to recover from the infection as it affected everyone differently.

But she added that hospital bosses were not unduly concerned.

She said: "The message is, it's business as usual. Staff and visitors are being particularly careful and we are taking the appropriate precautions.

"We do endeavour to stop the spread of it because it can cause serious problems. The consultants in the intensive care unit are very hot on this.

"It really is a question of being very careful just to prevent the spread. These infections do occur and when they do we treat them very seriously."