The sea of red ink had been rising for years when, several months ago, Jonathan Metsch, the president and CEO of the Jersey City Medical Center, told state officials that the hospital needed $3 million more per month to keep afloat.

The hospital had received several one-shot subsidies before, state officials said yesterday. But before agreeing to this latest request, they wanted to make sure they weren't throwing good money after bad.

 Like a skulking intruder, their presence is felt rather than seen.  They wreak havoc on their victims and sometimes take an inestimable toll.

But unlike a criminal, these interlopers don't break into your house, they invade your body. They are the germs that breed in hospitals, causing an estimated 2 million infections per year in 5 percent of the patients there.