Superbug catches doctors off guard

Health authorities should know today if there is a danger of a flesh-eating superbug spreading after it killed three patients at a Christchurch hospital.

They admitted yesterday they were caught off guard by the outbreak - the first of its type in New Zealand affecting more than one patient.

"This one is out of the blue to be honest," said infectious diseases physician Alan Pithie. "No one necessarily expects this to happen."

Authorities acted immediately after identifying a link between the deaths of the three elderly patients in Ward 3A at Princess Margaret Hospital, which caters for elderly patients.

The hospital ward has been closed to new admissions, visitors are restricted, and hospital staff are using additional safety gear, such as gowns and gloves. Patients and staff have also been given antibiotics as a precaution.

Mouth swabs were taken from up to 60 patients and hospital staff who were in contact with the trio.

The killer bug begins with a particularly nasty strain of streptococcus bacteria, which is present in the bodies of a large number of people and often causes tonsillitis.

The highly virulent bacteria can lead to necrotising fasciitis, a painful condition that eats human tissues and ultimately leads to blood poisoning and organ failure.

If test results expected back today find streptococcus bacteria in others, further testing will be needed to determine if it is a type that can lead to the flesh-eating illness.

Ken Morrison, whose 89-year-old mother Jessie was one of the three who died, told the Herald he wanted to see measures in place to stop anyone else losing a loved one. His mother fell into a coma and was dead within 12 hours.

"You hear about these things, but you never think it will happen to a relation of yours. But it's a part of life now isn't it? There are all these bugs around us."

Mr Morrison is waiting to hear from the hospital authorities whether he needs to be tested, as he spent time with his mother before she died.

"Put it this way, I'm a young enough chap and it seems to be affecting elderly people. My mum's immune system may not have been up to it."

Dr Pithie said necrotising fasciitis was an extremely uncommon condition. "We would only see a handful of cases a year - if that. It's recognised worldwide, but it's unusual everywhere."

It is still not known whether the bacteria entered the hospital through a patient or another source.

Christchurch's main public hospital has been dealing with an outbreak of norovirus, which closed one of its wards. Norovirus causes vomiting and diarrhoea, usually lasting 48 hours.

The timing of the two outbreaks was a coincidence, Dr Pithie said.