Another superbug infects 3 more inpatients at Tokyo hospital

TOKYO, Sept. 4 Kyodo -
Three inpatients at Teikyo University Hospital, which recently admitted to a
number of deaths from a superbug, have been infected with another
antibiotic-resistant bacterium, with one suspected fatality, Tokyo metropolitan
government officials said Saturday.
The Tokyo-based hospital reported the three cases of hospital infection with
multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa to the Tokyo government Thursday at
the same time as it reported the outbreak of Acinetobacter infections, the
officials said.
The hospital and Tokyo government revealed at separate press conferences Friday
that 27 patients since last October had died out of 46 infected with
Acinetobacter, including nine whose deaths were possibly attributable to the
superbug. The pseudomonal cases were not revealed Friday by either the hospital
or the Tokyo government, however.
An official in charge at the Tokyo government explained that it did not give
out the information as infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, unlike
Acinetobacter, are not uncommon and that the incidence of infection was small.
Pseudomonal infection was detected from the three in the same hospital ward
from June to August and one of them with heart disease died on Aug. 24 of blood
poisoning caused by a bacterial infection, the official said, adding that there
is a strong possibility the pseudomonal bacterium was to blame for the death.
In Aichi Prefecture, 24 inpatients at Fujita Health University Hospital have
been infected with Acinetobacter since February, hospital officials said.
Six of the 24 patients have died, but the fatalities are probably not linked to
the infection, according to a local public health center.
The hospital in Toyoake notified the public health center of the infection on
Feb. 16 after detecting the first case on Feb. 10, the hospital said.
The hospital said it has strengthened measures to prevent the spread of
infection, as in-hospital infection has been suspected.
==Kyodo