The Tribune

TWO babies have died from complications related to an outbreak of a dangerous bacterial infection at the Princess Margaret Hospital.

The outbreak, which hospital representatives say has now been contained, also affected six other infants in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

According to PMH officials, the infection was caused by the bacterium Acinetobacter Baumanii, which usually affects those with compromised immune systems.

The hospital said that once they discovered the outbreak, all of the babies in the unit were tested.

“Eight of them tested positive. There were two related deaths. The remaining six babies who tested positive for Acinetobacter are well and are on antibiotic treatment.

“The infection is now contained and measures are in place to prevent further infections,” PMH said in statement yesterday.

Dr Hubert Minnis, former Minister of Health and the leader of the Opposition, told The Big T that he had been informed of the situation about two weeks ago and brought it up during the question and answer period in the House of Assembly on Wednesday.

“I asked (Minister of Health Dr Perry Gomez) to report on the situation, how many babies had died, how many were sick, what have they done to contain the infection, where are they relocating the babies to, who were in the NICU, and what they planned to do in the future to ensure that more babies don’t die,” he said.

Dr Minnis told The Big T that there was a similar incident in 1996 when it is believed nine infants may have died.

At that time, he said, the World Health Organisation was called in to investigate the matter.

“If the same hygienic protocols were followed, how could such an outbreak occur again? Did they notify the WHO this time? Did they deviate from those health procedures someone has to answer,” he said.

Acinetobacter enters the body through open wounds, catheters, and breathing tubes. It usually infects those with compromised immune systems, such as the wounded, the elderly, children, or those with immune diseases.

Colonisation (when the bacteria is present on or in the person, but does not cause illness) poses no threat to people not already ill, but colonised health care workers and hospital visitors can carry the bacteria into neighbouring wards and other medical facilities. The number of nonsocial infections (hospital-acquired infections) caused by A. baumannii has increased in recent years, as have most other nosocomial pathogens.

One of the reasons is that the bacteria can live up to five months on undisturbed surfaces, depending on humidity levels.