Victorian authorities have issued a public warning about a potentially-deadly and antibiotic-resistant superbug which may be linked to 18 deaths over the past three years. The emerging superbug can kill about half of those who get infected with it.
Victorian hospitals were placed on high alert on Tuesday as health officials have discovered the root cause of deaths at St. Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. The pathogen, Klebsiella pneumonia carbapenemase-producing bacteria (KPC), is a new superbug that has been discovered in 57 people in Victoria in recent years.
It was known that the bacteria were detected among adult patients in the geriatric unit of the hospital and it has spread between patients. Since 2012, 57 Victorians were infected with KPC but the hospital claim that the bacteria did not cause any death in any of their patients. Yet, it has caused serious medical conditions in two of their patients in the past.
"Of the 57 patients across Victoria over the last two years, we know that 18 patients have died," Acting chief Victorian health officer Finn Romanes told The Australian.
He added, "The data is very difficult to understand and the patients have complex medical histories so the investigation is ongoing but in a number of instances people die with this bacteria not because of it, so for that we can be fortunate."
The hospital is now performing and applying infection control procedures with more screening of vulnerable patients, reports The Age. They even stepped up with measures to prevent cross infection between patients. They steam cleaned the rooms, promoted hand hygiene, conducted health education, and isolated patients found to be infected with the pathogen.
Dr. Finn Romanes, Victoria's Chief Health Officer said that the health services across the country had been briefed about the need to push infection control further.
"All Victorian health services have been provided with information from the Department of Health & Human Services emphasising the need to ensure all current national standards are in place and being strictly followed."
