Bacterial infection found in neonatal nursery

Twelve babies have been put into isolation at the Monash Medical Centre after the discovery of a bacterial infection in the neonatal nursery.

Twelve babies have been put into isolation at the Monash Medical Centre after the discovery of a bacterial infection in the neonatal nursery.One child is being treated for the serratia bacteria while 11 others are believed to be carrying it but are not infected.All the babies are in a stable condition.The head of Southern Health’s infectious diseases unit, Professor Richard Doherty, says the bug, which is common to intensive care units is often resistant to traditional antibiotics.”The problem with these little tiny babies, the premature babies that we’re talking about here, is that any germs can be fatal,” he said. “This is actually quite a nasty germ. It’s happened despite very careful attention to hand washing, very careful attention to detail in terms of disinfection and so forth around the nursery.”(Source: ABC Health News, March 2004)