Malaria alert at hospital

MEDICAL staff are to contact more than 190 patients who may have been exposed to a patient who has tested positive for malaria.

Bedford Hospital said the case was confirmed this week and an investigation has been launched into the source of the infection.

Hospital officials today said they believe it is an "isolated case" and acknowledged that the man, who was having a hip replaced, may have contracted the disease while in hospital. They are investigating whether he was infected by another patient, a member of staff or a by mosquito.

The hospital's Dr Jeremy Saunders said: "Although the risk to other patients is very small we feel we have a duty to keep people informed and have written to everyone who may have been exposed to infection to ask them to come in for some precautionary tests."

The man has been transferred to Cambridge's Addenbrooke's Hospital, where he is said to be responding to treatment.

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