03/05/2007
A Madrid hospital is investigating how a bacterial infection spread through its neo-natal intensive care unit, killing three premature babies in their incubators.
The 12th October University Hospital said on Monday one baby born two months early and weighing just 1kg (2.2 pounds) died on Feb. 26 after catching the klebsiella pneumoniae bug, a common bacterium sometimes spread by contaminated medical equipment.
The same bug killed two more premature babies four days later and a fourth is seriously ill, though the hospital could not say whether it had been infected by the same bacterium which easily kills premature babies with little immunity.
Doctors have isolated 23 patients who came into contact with the bacterium and have assigned separate staff and equipment for "clean" and "infected" groups to halt the bug's spread.
The hospital said Health Ministry officials were investigating the outbreak.
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