Kim MacNeil's mother was already fighting for her life when she checked into a Cape Breton hospital with swelling in her brain.

Now the 59-year-old is among 21 patients who have contracted a potentially fatal, highly contagious bacterium called Clostridium difficile, or C. difficile as it is more commonly known.

"We were hoping that with everything else, that everything was going to start falling into place as far as her healing and getting better," says MacNeil of her mother, who remains in critical condition in intensive care. "Then this here is thrown at her. It's not right, but what can you do?"

The antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been linked to the deaths of four hospital patients in Cape Breton, and it is expected that more deaths will occur as a result of the outbreak.

Dr. Shoaib Ansari, an infectious control specialist, says C. difficile causes a multitude of problems with respect to infections of the intestine.

"People keep on having increasing episodes of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain," explains Ansari. "And it can, in a certain number of cases, lead to even death."

Patients at Sydney, Glace Bay and New Waterford hospitals have become infected with C. difficile, but several health care facilities in the area are taking steps to limit the outbreak.

Many are adopting strict visiting restrictions, with more than a dozen facilities allowing only immediate family members to visit. Children under 12 and those who are already ill or have diarrhea are asked to refrain from visiting.

Health care workers are increasing hand-washing, and sterile gowns and gloves are required in some cases of close patient contact. Visitors must clean their hands with soap and warm water before and after their visit, and some rooms are being sterilized with bleach.

While many measures are being taken to prevent the spread of the bacteria, it may not help those who are already infected from deteriorating, and more deaths are expected to occur in the following weeks.

"It can become a situation where things can become out of control completely," says Ansari.

That's what happened in Quebec several years ago. The current outbreak is linked to a strain of the bacteria which proved fatal for 1500 patients in Quebec hospitals between 2003 and 2005.

The fact that it is resistant to antibiotics makes it very difficult to treat successfully. One in five patients who undergo a regime of antibiotics and appear to recover relapse just a few days after treatment.

Elderly patients who are already battling serious illnesses are especially vulnerable to the bacteria and the Cape Breton Regional Health Authority predicts it could take eight weeks to bring the outbreak under control.