Super bug kills dozens in hospitals across country - Israel

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Super bug kills dozens in hospitals across country

Virulent stain of bacteria believed to be cause of death of 120-200

patients in hospitals. Experts explain most of those infected were

already suffering from prior medical conditions. Health ministry

says outbreak was kept secret to avoid mass panic

Meital Yasur-Beit Or Published: 03.07.07, 09:53 / Israel News

A deadly bacterium known as Klebsiella pneumoniae is believed to

have killed some 120-200 patients in hospitals across the country.

" Between 400 to 500 people have been infected by the bug, and 30 to

40 percent of them have already died. However, it is important to

note that most of them were in a serious condition, and some were

suffering from prior medical conditions, " said Prof. Yehuda Carmeli,

the head of the epidemiology unit at the Sourasky Medical Center in

Tel Aviv.

According to Carmeli, most of those infected have been hospitalized

for over 25 days, and their average age stood at 74-75.

The virulent stain of bacteria is resistant to all kinds of

antibiotics, and has already spread in many hospitals across Israel.

Health Minister Yacov Ben Yizri on Wednesday rejected accusations

that his ministry had underestimated the scope of the outbreak,

saying the case was kept a secret to prevent mass panic.

" It is true that the bug infects people who have been hospitalized

with severe illnesses and this should not scare the public, " he

said.

Infection expert Dr. Galia Rahav of the Sheba Medical Center told

Channel 1 Tuesday that 130 people have been infected in Sheba

Medical

Center alone, and about a third of them have already died.

Health Ministry sets up committee

The Health Ministry has set up a committee of experts, headed by

Prof. Carmeli, to determine the scope of the problem and advise

hospitals on how to contain it. The director-generals of all

hospitals in Israel have been summoned to a meeting with Health

Ministry officials to coordinate efforts aimed at containing the

outbreak.

The Klebsiella pneumoniae bacterium is commonly found in neonatal

intensive care units and ICUs. " The bacterium mainly infects

patients who have been treated with antibiotics, patients on life

support, and patients who have undergone angioplasty, " explained

Prof. Shai Ashkenazi, the head of the children's ward and an

infection expert at the Schneider Children's Medical Center.

" The bacteria affect high risk patients or patient suffering from a

condition that weakens their immune system, " he added.

According to Ashkenazi, Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the

strongest antibiotic-resistant bacterium in existence.