Western Hospital in Alberton declares bacterial infection outbreak
Western Hospital in Alberton is dealing with an outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.
That's a form of bacteria that's resistant to certain types of antibiotics.
"Visitors to the hospital are not being restricted at this time; however, common spaces have been closed as a precaution," Health P.E.I. said in a news release late Wednesday.
"Visitors are reminded of the importance of frequent hand-washing and are discouraged from visiting multiple rooms within the hospital."
The release said staff at the small hospital in western Prince Edward Island are getting help from Health P.E.I.'s infection prevention and control team to prevent MRSA from spreading within the facility.
The province later said there are fewer than five MRSA-positive cases, confined to one hallway of the building.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown has experienced several MRSA outbreaks in the past 15 years, including one involving the hospital's Unit 3 in January 2021. The number of visitors was limited at that time, with Health P.E.I. asking people to consider using virtual options such as video conferencing until the outbreak ended.
A number of newborn babies tested positive in 2008 and 2009, and there were other outbreaks in 2014 and 2017.
Hospitals across Canada and around the world have struggled to eradicate persistent MRSA contamination since at least 1995.
