Ninth baby tests positive to killer bug

A ninth baby at Wellington Hospital has tested positive to an aggressive strain of staphylococcus aureus which has killed three babies following an outbreak in its neonatal unit.

All babies at present in the unit had been screened, Wellington Hospital microbiologist Mark Jones said yesterday.

Three dozen babies have been affected by the bacteria since January.

Fifteen nurses from the unit have also been infected and six remain off work.

The infected babies have been isolated in a special "red zone" area of the unit after the hospital implemented infection control procedures.

Babies who had potentially been in contact with the bug were in an "orange zone" and those admitted after last Wednesday were in a "green zone".

The latest baby to test positive for staph had been in the orange zone, Dr Jones said. "So the fact that a baby in this zone has tested positive is not, in and of itself, surprising."

The hospital was pleased no babies in the green zone had contracted the bacteria.

"[This] would tend to indicate that our infection control protocols are working as expected."

None of the nine babies who had tested positive for staph was infected by it, Dr Jones said.

"In other words, while they do have the bug, they are not showing any ill effects from it.

"All of these babies are responding well to treatment."

The hospital yesterday admitted it could have communicated better about the outbreak after some parents of vulnerable babies expressed disappointment they were not told until last week.

- NZPA