Staffordshire hospital battles resistant superbug

[tetano]

A strain of superbug unique to Staffordshire has killed a kidney patient and infected at least seven others, the BBC has learned.

Klebsiella pneumoniae affected 13 patients on Ward 29 at University Hospital of North Staffordshire.

The dead patient and seven others, developed a resistant strain of the disease.

A hospital spokesman said: "Eight [patients] have a new strain that has not been seen elsewhere."

It is understood the infection was contained by late February with 13 cases still being treated.

'Highly contagious'

Hospital microbiologist George Orendi said was surprised by the contagious nature of Klebsiella.

He said: "What makes it of concern is the number of patients that we have found with the resistant strain.

"It is transmitted between patients. This particular type has not been seen elsewhere."

The hospital has cleaned ward 29 to intensive care standards and all patients on the ward, which is used for kidney patients, are now being screened weekly for Klebsiella.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/staffordshire/8595902.stm

 

[alert]

Re: Staffordshire hospital battles resistant superbug

This is worth keeping an eye on. Last year, Libya and Egypt reported a bunch of suspected plague cases (http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=265401), but kept excluding cases, and one case that landed in a decent hospital in Egypt tested positive for Klebsiella, and negative for plague. No cases of plague were confirmed in that outbreak. I have been suspecting some new strain of Klebsiella might have been responsible. This agent might be FAR more widespread than we think, and may only have been detected here because of the nosocomial spread.

 

[alert]

Re: Staffordshire hospital battles resistant superbug

Looking at the symptoms (septicemia and pneumonia), and the fact that not just two strains, but several were found, makes me feel that it is more likely this bug is widespread (how often do we sequence bacteria that carefully?) and is likely reponsible for several undiagnosed outbreaks already on FT, including the one in the link above.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hnUGXb4sUY87my1hptTZ4XUqNsZA

A patient died after an outbreak of a rare strain of a hospital superbug, medical staff have said.

Eight people - including the kidney patient who died - developed a resistant strain of ESBL (Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase) Klebsiella at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire.

In total 13 patients on a ward have been hit by various forms of the strain.

A spokesman for the hospital said: "A small cluster of cases of patients carrying a multi-resistant ESBL Klebsiella has recently been detected on an adult ward at University Hospital of North Staffordshire.

"Various different strains have been identified in the 13 cases currently at University Hospital. Eight have a new strain that has not been seen elsewhere."

Of the 13 cases, only two developed symptoms of the infection which can include septicaemia or pneumonia, he added.

The spokesman said: "The remaining 11 have been diagnosed as carriers and special measures have been put in place on the ward to protect them and other patients.

"One of the patients who developed the infection had a number of other serious conditions and has subsequently died."

Klebsiella belongs to the group of bacteria which normally colonise the gut, but they may occasionally cause urinary tract infection.

Patients have been isolated from other parts of the hospital as part of "infection control procedures", he added.