Several newborns infected with a dangerous strain of drug-resistant bacteria in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) are to be sent abroad for further medical treatment, the hospital said.
In a statement issued last night, IGMH said that cases of multi-drug-resistant organisms (MDRO) had been identified in the NICU.
The first positive result was from a baby born at 28 weeks and admitted on March 27, who tested positive for MDRO Burkholderia cepacia.
Subsequent testing revealed the same infection in four more babies on ventilators three premature and one full-term. All five are receiving antibiotic therapy based on their clinical condition, and efforts are under way to send those needing advanced care abroad.
The hospital said all infected infants have been isolated, and immediate infection control protocols have been implemented. No new cases have been reported since March 15, and the outbreak is now considered contained.
Since the detection of the bacteria, 84 infants have been treated in the NICU. Of the 10 currently admitted, five are infected.
