The Republic's hospitals have emerged with a significantly lower incidence of MRSA and other infections than their counterparts in the North, England or Wales.
Results of the survey carried out by the independent Hospital Infection Society revealed prevalence of infection in England at 8.2 per cent; in Wales it was 6.3 per cent; in Northern Ireland 5.5 per cent; while in the Republic the rate was 4.9 per cent.
However, the results show that while the Republic had the lowest rates of infection overall, some Irish hospitals had high rates.
Among general hospitals, the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, Cork, had the highest level of hospital-associated infections at 13.3 per cent, or 18 patients out of 135 tested.
This was followed by the Mercy University Hospital, also in Cork, which had a rate of 10.3 per cent, or 17 cases out of 165 people tested. Mercy hospital has challenged the accuracy of the procedures involved.
In the regional/tertiary hospitals, St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, had the highest level at 8.1 per cent.
Of the specialist hospitals, St Luke's recorded the highest level of infection at 6.6 per cent.
