Twelve patients at Meir Hospital in Kfar Sava were infected with an antibiotic-resistant bacteria strain, a hospital spokesperson said Monday.

The bacteria's resilience to several forms of antibiotics was discovered following testing given to four patients from different sections of the hospital.

The discovery was reported to the Health Ministry and to other hospitals around the country.

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Four of the 12 patients, who where infected with the bacteria in the past month, have died, but hospital sources say it is unclear whether they died as a result of the bacterial infection.

The bacteria can cause infections in the blood system, urinary tract, and lungs, and mainly affects people with weakened immune systems.