Israel ? The comatose Ariel Sharon was in an intensive care unit Friday after an infection attacked his heart, raising new concerns about his survival.

The former Israeli leader’s hospital said his overall condition had suffered a deterioration but was now stable.

Sharon, who has been in a coma since suffering a major stroke in January, contracted a new infection that affected his heart, said David Weinberg, a spokesman for the Chaim Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv.

The hospital refused to comment further.