Klebsiella pneumoniae bacterial outbreak at Seattle hospital: 9 deaths
A hospital in Seattle has confirmed two extra deaths in connection to a bacterial outbreak that started final 12 months.
Starting in October 2022, hospital employees at Virginia Mason Medical Center stated it detected a rise in circumstances of Klebsiella pneumoniae micro organism at its downtown campus. Since then, practically a dozen folks have died after contracting the micro organism pressure.
The contaminated sufferers, who contracted Klebsiella, have been hospitalized in varied departments, together with in inpatient medical beds, an intensive care unit, and an working room, the hospital stated in a statement.
“Whereas the danger of transmission is extraordinarily low for sufferers, we proceed to take proactive steps to keep away from extra transmission, together with conducting environmental sampling, updating facility infrastructure, and reviewing cleansing and an infection prevention practices,” the discharge states.
Here is what we all know in regards to the outbreak:
What’s Klebsiella pneumoniae?
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a sort of micro organism that lives naturally in the environment, per the hospital. They’re usually discovered within the human intestines − the place they don’t trigger illness − in addition to in human feces.
In accordance with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, Klebsiella pneumoniae infections generally happen amongst sick or immunocompromised sufferers receiving remedy for different circumstances. Sufferers whose care requires gadgets like ventilators or intravenous catheters, and sufferers who’re taking lengthy programs of sure antibiotics are most susceptible to an infection.
Klebsiella pneumoniae could cause various kinds of well being care-associated infections, together with pneumonia, bloodstream infections, wound or surgical web site infections, and meningitis, the CDC states.
How do folks get contaminated with the micro organism?
Well being officers stated infections generally happen amongst sick or immunocompromised sufferers who’re receiving remedy for different circumstances.
Most individuals who contract it won’t ever expertise an an infection, however sometimes Klebsiella pneumoniae can result in urinary tract infections and different problems.
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How many individuals have been contaminated with the micro organism?
To this point, 33 folks have been confirmed to be contaminated with the pressure of micro organism.
How many individuals have died because of the outbreak?
The 2 newest deaths convey the general complete to 9 because the begin of the outbreak.
Virginia Mason Medical Heart stated within the assertion it’s “troublesome to find out whether or not Klebsiella pneumoniae brought about or contributed” to the deaths since some sufferers’ circumstances have been advanced.
Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY
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