Superbug kills two - A spokeswoman for the UCLA Health system revealed on Wednesday that two patients have died and more than 100 could be infected by Superbug bacteria CRE.
The shocking news was confirmed by Roxanne Yamaguchi Moster in a statement where she revealed that seven patients were already infected with the deadly bacteria carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae, or CRE. Superbug kills two and five people are also infected at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
According to Daily News, possible contamination from the specialized scope is being suspected to be the cause of the bacteria transmission.
"The scope is used during a procedure to diagnose and treat pancreaticobiliary diseases," officials said. "Infections appear to have taken place between October and January."
The specialized endoscope is used every year for treatment of cancers, gallstones and other digestive system disorders. The duodenoscopes are used to treat nearly 500,000 patients by inserting it into the throat.
It is believed that because of the scope's intricate design, medical experts find it hard to disinfect it thoroughly, which may have caused spread of the noxious bacteria from one patient to another. It is also most likely what happened to seven infected where superbug kills two, Los Angeles Times cited.
With superbug kills two, medical experts are also investigating on the 179 patients who had the procedures from October to January, who may be possibly been infected too.
CNN reported that the patients had home test kits. However, internal investigation disclosed that CRE bacteria may be transmitted through the procedure using specialized scope to treat disorders of the gall bladder, bile ducts, or pancreas.
Moster also said in the statement that UCLA follows standard procedures in sterilizing the scopes based on the manufacturer's guide even before superbug kills two incident took place.
As soon as the bacteria CRE were detected, UCLA officials reported the incident at once to Los Angeles County Department of Health and the California Department of Public Health.
As precaution, they also immediately took down the two infected scopes linked to the case of superbug kills two and infected hundreds. The hospital reported that they are now using a decontamination procedure that is far beyond the national and manufacture's standards.
According to CHealth, bacteria are classified as 'superbug' when they carry genes that permit them to thrive and survive in an environment exposed to antibiotics. These genes are threatening as they can be passed among bacteria allowing them to propagate and carry the resistance genes.
One case of superbugs that caught media attention and scared patients in hospitals globally was when a patient from Alberta was discovered in an Indian hospital to be infected with NDM-1 strain superbug in 2010.
The NDM-1 superbug is somewhat similar to the superbug kills two that can cause different diseases such as infections of the urinary tract, kidney, bladder or blood or pneumonia. NDM-1 became resistant to carbapenem that can kill almost all types of bacteria.
With the present issue of superbugs kills two, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that CRE bacteria can kill almost half of the patients who will be found infected with the bacteria
