It was VG who on Friday wrote about the outbreak of the MRSA bacterium at the neonatal intensive care unit at Kalnes Hospital, which is part of Østfold Hospital, outside Sarpsborg city center.
Østfold Hospital wrote on its own on Monday websites that the infection has increased in recent days. So far, a total of 17 people have been infected in the outbreak. Of those infected, eight are infants, three parents and six employees.
MRSA, also known as yellow staphylococci, is an antibiotic-resistant bacterium that in the worst case can cause infections and severe cases of blood poisoning.
So far, none of the infected are seriously ill, and none of the children have developed symptoms. Two out of six infants have already been discharged from the hospital.
– Being infected does not automatically mean that you are ill. We monitor the children and will start treatment if they develop symptoms, says department head Jane Larsen in the children and adolescent clinic at Kalnes neonatal intensive care unit.
Several employees are waiting for negative test results to return to work, which makes the staff at the hospital demanding, but the hospital is open to new patients.
The infection is still being tracked, and it is unknown how the infection came to the hospital.
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