Ariel Sharon's condition worsens

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's medical condition has deteriorated over the past few days, and he may soon be permanently hooked up to a dialysis machine that will regulate this situation, report agencies.

Sharon, who has been in a coma after suffering a massive stroke January 4, is breathing with the help of a respirator.

But recent medical examinations indicate changes in Sharon's brain tissue, and his doctors fear that he may be harboring an

infection. reports the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

According to a senior physician, whose assessment is based on the information released yesterday by Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer 'Sharon is facing a serious threat to his life, and if he is not treated with kidney dialysis he could die within several days,' Haaretz said.

'Senior rehabilitative physicians who are not involved in Sharon's treatment have described his condition as vegetative, and say the likelihood of an improvement in his condition is almost nil,' Haaretz said.