Maternity ward closed after outbreak of deadly bacteria

Health officials in the North have temporarily closed the neo-natal unit at a leading maternity hospital following an outbreak of a deadly infection among three newborn babies.

The babies, who were all born prematurely at the Royal Maternity Hospital in Belfast, have picked up the potentially life-threatening enterobacter infection.

They have been isolated from healthy infants and are being closely monitored, but their conditions are said to be stable.

The entire neo-natal unit at the hospital has been temporarily closed to new admissions until the threat of further infections is eliminated.