Six dead and 27 ill in nursing home bug outbreak

A mystery illness has claimed the lives of six elderly people at a nursing home in less than a fortnight, including five in the past five days.

The illness has also infected 27 of the remaining 39 residents.

James Reilly, the health minister, ordered an immediate review of standards at the Nazareth House nursing home in Fahan, Buncrana, Co Donegal, after being alerted to the outbreak.

The fatality rate was revealed by the Department of Health and HSE last night after it emerged that six residents, all over the age of 80, had died in 11 days.

It is believed the deaths are linked to an as yet unidentified “respiratory-type illness”, with samples from the deceased being tested by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre.

Twenty-seven other residents are showing signs of the illness and are being treated with anti-viral drugs, while it is understood some staff have taken sick leave in recent days.

All those with symptoms of the illness are being checked for any deterioration in their condition.

Dr Reilly was last night in “direct contact” with the Health Information Quality Authority to ensure an emergency review of the private facility’s care standards takes place.

The HIQA investigation team was sent to the nursing home — which was built by the Sisters of Nazareth Religious Congregation in 1981 — last night.

The facility has previously been the subject of positive HIQA reports and underwent a change in management last summer.

The Irish Examiner understands that at least one elderly person was moved into the nursing home after the cluster of deaths began.

Buncrana Fine Gael councillor Peter McLaughlin said he was aware that the person was admitted last Thursday — when the full extent of the situation was becoming apparent.

“There are a lot of questions which need to be answered now. I know for a fact that a person was moved from a home in Buncrana to this nursing home in Fahan last Thursday.

“Management were aware there had been deaths and they should not have admitted any more patients. We simply do not know how many more patients were admitted into Fahan where there was an obvious risk.

“From what I understand, there is a quarantine situation in place now, but I would question if the damage has already been done.”

The identity of the virus is not expected to be known until at least this evening at the earliest, with tests on samples from all those affected taking place at the National Viral Reference Laboratory at UCD.

However, Dr Darina Flanagan, director of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, said it was most likely the outbreak was some form of respiratory virus and not bacterial, and that it could turn out to be influenza.

Dr Reilly and Kathleen Lynch, the minister for older people, have offered their condolences to the families involved and said they are closely monitoring the situation.

The fatalities are the latest in a growing list of nursing home problems to hit Ireland in recent years, ranging from the Leas Cross scandal to residents not being kept warm in winter to allegations surrounding Rostrevor House in Dublin.