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Unusual MRSA strain at hospital

Nov 7, 2007 | Associated Press | BBC News

An unusual strain of the MRSA bug was been detected at Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway, health chiefs revealed.

Western Isles NHS said its infection control team had identified a small number of cases and all patients affected had treated.

The patients were not considered to be at any further risk.

Details of the infection "cluster" came as all planned orthopaedic surgery at a Glasgow hospital was suspended after an infection by a number of bugs.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said the decision at the Southern General was taken after the number of wound infections at the hospital had increased.

The health board said a number of different types of bacteria had caused the infections.

The Western Isles cluster was detected during routine surveillance.

Julie Yates, a nurse consultant for public health, said: "All of the patients have received appropriate treatment as advised by our local microbiologist and patients are not considered to be at additional risk."

The strain was further investigated by the National Reference Laboratories at Stobhill, Glasgow, and confirmed as having resistance to mupirocin - one of the common antibiotics used to treat people who are carrying the organism.

Reassure public

An incident team was convened and additional measures were put in place to reduce the risk of further spread.

Advice was also sought from experts at Health Protection Scotland.

Mrs Yates said: "We would like to reassure members of the public that the improvements we have made within infection control over the past year mean that we have been able to respond very promptly to this situation."