Premature baby dies after outbreak of superbug MRSA at maternity unit
A PREMATURE baby has died after a superbug outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit.
Nine babies were infected by the antibiotic-resistant disease MRSA while at Rosie’s Maternity wing in Cambridge with an internal investigation now launched.
The outbreak took hold at the end of August, with one of the infected babies, who had been born extremely premature that month, soon dying from the infection.
MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, can cause mild skin infections but can spread to cause life-threatening infections like blood poisoning.
The hospital has since said the premature baby was hard to treat for the infection as their skin was already very fragile.
A Cambridge University Hospitals spokesman said: “We can confirm that, in August 2016, a baby was born on our neonatal intensive care unit with multiple problems due to prematurity.
"The baby was immediately ventilated and specialist care continued in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
"After some days the baby was found to have MRSA on the skin. This was difficult to treat as the skin was already very fragile due to the prematurity. Sadly, the baby died soon afterwards.
"The cause of death was overwhelming sepsis and multi-organ failure. Blood tests confirmed an MRSA infection.
"We are extremely sorry for all the sadness and distress that the family has gone through and continue to offer them support at this most difficult of times."
Two babies at the unit still have the superbug but the hospital has said the outbreak was declared to be over as of November 2.
The last case to be confirmed was a month earlier, on October 2.
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Dr Sue Broster, clinical director of the paediatric and neonatal intensive care unit at the Rosie, said: "It's rare that it has happened.
"We still don’t have a clear picture as to how it came on to be on the intensive care unit but are confident with no new cases that this is now under control.
"We want to think we provide the highest quality care, we have got very good outcome data from the unit here."
WHAT IS MRSA?
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is a bacteria that's resistant to a large number of antibiotics.
This means MRSA infections - also known as a superbug - can be more difficult to treat than other bacterial infections.
Staph bacteria is common and is often carried on the skin and inside the nostrils and throat.
It can cause mild infections of the skin, such as boils and impetigo.
But, if the bacteria get into a crack in the skin they can cause life-threatening infections, such as blood poisoning.
MRSA is typically spread through skin-to-skin contact with somone who has an MRSA infection or has the bacteria living on their skin.
The bacteria can also be spread through contact with contaminated towels, sheets, clothes, dressings, surfaces, door handles and floors.
She added: "We pride ourselves on giving really good, high quality care to all the babies and their families so something like this is a blow to the whole team.
"Everyone feels very sad by what has happened. We’re upset for all the families, we form a close relationship with them. Often they are with us for months.
"Everyone has done everything they can to resolve it as quickly as possible. Parents have been fully informed throughout and we continue to keep them updated."
Everyone feels very sad by what has happened. We’re upset for all the families, we form a close relationship with them
Dr Sue Broster
Staff at the hospital have since increased cleaning of the unit, including cleaning of the ventilation systems.
Dr Broster said the babies in the unit would continue to be monitored for symptoms.
She said: "Prior to this we screened all our babies once a week, now we screen them twice a week.
"All the babies will continue to be screened twice a week until the babies who were colonised go home. We’re confident now we have this under control."
Leading scientists are now hopeful that a new antibiotic could kill superbugs like MRSA.
It comes after concerns were raised that the deadly superbug could even be found in British pork sold in supermarkets.