Source of rare scalded skin infection outbreak yet to be identified by experts
A preliminary report on the case of five newborn babies who were infected with Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome (SSSS) at Limerick’s Regional Maternity Hospital said no obvious link between the affected patients had been found so far. The report is contained in the latest journal published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Five cases of SSSS were confirmed in full-term, healthy babies born at Limerick’s Regional Maternity Hospital between February and May.
Three baby boys and two baby girls from different parts of the Mid-west region were diagnosed with the illness.
SSSS is a rare skin infection categorised by peeling skin which normally affects newborn babies and young children. Although easily treatable, SSSS, if left untreated, can lead to serious illnesses such as septicaemia.
Within nine days of being discharged from the city’s Regional Maternity Hospital, all five infants were brought to the paediatric unit of the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick where they were diagnosed with SSSS. None had any history of admission to the hospital’s neonatal unit.
The report notes that no disinfection was used on the umbilical cord of babies born at the hospital before May 2007.
Due to the fact there was no prior documented case of SSSS in the Republic, skin and nasal swabs had to be sent to the UK Health Protection Agency in London for analysis.
An outbreak control team established last April reviewed and updated infection control polices at the hospital. The group reported that it had made efforts to see if the cases shared any common links such as labour wards, medical staff and foodstuffs, but had found no obvious links. Environmental screening of the wards was conducted but yielded negative results.
The hospital was found to enforce strict adherence to infection control measures.
The group was also satisfied that all suspected cases of SSSS had been properly isolated in the Mid-Western Regional Hospital.
