Baby becomes third to die of rare blood disease at Scottish hospital

A baby has died of a rare infection at a hospital in Glasgow.

The infant is the third to die after contracting a blood stream infection known as Staphylococcus aureus at Princess Royal Maternity Hospital in the Scottish city. The other two babies passed away in January, reports BBC News. All three were born prematurely. In February the local health board said that four other babies had been found to have the strain on their skin but were not infected. The strain at the The Princess Royal Maternity Hospital  is resistant to two different types of antibiotics usually used to fight it. The hospital said in a statement that the babies who died were in poor health, having been born prematurely.

"As previously reported, we have been rigorously managing a number of cases of a rare Staphylococcus aureus blood stream infection in extremely premature babies in the neonatal unit of the Princess Royal Maternity Hospital. "Three babies, who were extremely poorly due to their very early birth, sadly died and infection was one of a number of contributing causes in their deaths. "Since early March, no further patients have tested positive for the Staphylococcus aureus infection."

The source of the infection may never be found, it added. It said that a programme of staff and family screening had been put in place as part of measures response to the infection. Staphylococcus aureus is thought to be present on the skin and in the nose of about one in four people. It is typically passed through water vapour droplets from coughing or sneezing, contact with an infected person or with a contaminated surface or item. Carriers can have the bacteria without ever showing symptoms or falling ill.