Baby Dies After MRSA Outbreak At NI Hospital

A baby has died after an outbreak of MRSA at the neonatal unit of the Royal Jubilee Maternity hospital in Belfast.

An investigation has been launched and the death is being treated as a "serious adverse incident".

Two babies contracted the bacterial infection late in the summer, with one child managing to make a recovery.

While the MRSA was not the direct cause of the death, it is thought to be connected, according to the BBC.

A fatality in these circumstances in a neonatal unit is said to be highly unusual, and the coroner has been notified.

The Belfast Trust said it is managing the infection outbreak, which first occurred in the summer, and a number of deep cleans have been carried out in the unit.

An outbreak is declared when the same strain of MRSA is detected twice.

"We would like to reassure the families of our patients, as well as the wider public, that the situation is being appropriately managed," a spokesperson for the trust said.

"Robust infection prevention and control measures are in place in the unit and every precaution is being taken."



(JG/MH)