Australian Patients quarantined with deadly virus
Pastor Dale Morgan
Australian Patients quarantined with deadly virus*
March 28, 2007 04:43pm
Article from: AAP
THIRTEEN patients at a Victorian hospital have been isolated as a
precaution after being found to carry a potentially deadly
antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The patients at Geelong Hospital, in the state's southwest, were found
to be carrying the Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) bacteria
following a routine infection prevention screening by the hospital last
week.
VRE is a species of bacteria usually found in the bowel and female
genital tract that is resistant to many antibiotics.
It can be passed from patient to patient through contaminated hands of
health care staff, surfaces and medical equipment.
Critically ill, long-term patients and cancer or transplant patients are
most at risk of contracting the bacteria, while healthy people are not
at risk of becoming carriers or being infected.
Barwon Health spokeswoman Amanda Bavin said the patients were placed in
one ward to minimise the risk of the infection spreading to other
patients and to enable the hospital to undergo a thorough cleaning process.
Ms Bavin said it was the first time the hospital had experienced this
many cases at the one time.
"There's VRE in all hospitals from time to time," she said.
"(The patients) have been clustered into one area of the hospital as a
precaution."
Ms Bavin said the patients were not restricted to staying in hospital
and could return home once they were treated for their underlying
medical condition.
She said healthy people were not at risk of becoming carriers or being
infected.
"The general community does not need to be concerned about the bacteria
because healthy people are at very little risk of being infected or
carrying the bacteria," she said.
Department of Human Services spokesman Bram Alexander said VRE carriers
showed no signs or symptoms and did not require hospital treatment.
However, those infected required strong medication and death was
possible, depending on the patient's other health problems, he said.
"From time to time, patients are infected by this and hospitals have
processes in place, just like Geelong Hospital, to deal with it," Mr
Alexander said.
"This is not something that's new, especially in medical circles."
Mr Alexander said the incident showed the importance of good infection
control such as the washing of hands, medical surfaces and equipment.