Superbug south of the border worrying health officials in BC
Posted March 12, 2013 4:31 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A new type of bacteria has been gaining traction south of the border and it has health leaders in BC worried about its spread.
Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, commonly known as CRE, is common in hospitals around the world but it has only started spreading to North American facilities recently by infected patients.
The big reason for concern is that CRE has the ability to cause infections that resist even the strongest antibiotics.
BC’s Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Perry Kendall says hospitals here are taking every precaution, promoting proper handwashing and the use of anti-bacterial soaps. He says staff is also asking patients whether they have visited any hospitals in the States. He adds, if you’re travelling to the US on a shopping trip you don’t need to worry, it’s if you end up having to go to a hospital that you can be at risk.
“We’re taking such extensive measures for active surveillance to try and find cases before it becomes problematic and ensure that we have isolation and prevention programs in place.”
Kendall says since 2008 there have been about 30 cases in this province and so far antibiotics have been able to treat the cases. “We have some really aggressive surveillance and cleansing programs in BC, so although we have had these cases we have had no transmissions within BC hospitals.”
He says there’s a possibility it could spread if health care facilities let their guards down.
“But hospitals are being upgraded so that you have better abilities for hygiene, I think we might be able to keep ahead of it.”
