Babies found with MRSA superbug

It is rare for people to carry the MRSA bug

Two babies in the special care unit at a North Yorkshire hospital have been found to be carrying the MRSA superbug.

Routine tests on the babies at Northallerton's Friarage Hospital picked up the potentially fatal bug.

Doctors have moved to reassure patients saying although the babies had the bug they did not have an active infection.

A hospital spokesman said action was being taken to tackle the problem. One baby is still being treated but the second has been allowed home.

Both babies were tested within the past two weeks and had both been in hospital since birth, although one was transferred into the Friarage Hospital from elsewhere.

A spokeswoman for South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust said the bug had been found on the babies during tests while they were in the neonatal unit.

"Babies in that unit are quite often more vulnerable to infections so they are routinely tested for all sorts of things. They were not specifically tested for MRSA but the tests picked it up," she said.

Very few people carry the methicillin resistant strain of staphylococcus aureus, although about 30% of the population carry staphylococcus aureus without being aware of it.

The spokeswoman added: "It is extremely rare to have MRSA on the neonatal unit but we are taking all the action necessary to tackle it, namely reinforcing the importance of hand washing with relatives and staff, testing all our staff and offering treatment if appropriate.

"Because we monitor our babies closely we have been able to pick this problem up and deal with it."