Infection outbreak in Alabama hospitals has left nine people dead and 10 others ill. An outbreak of serratia marcescens bacteria appeared to originate with contaminated intravenous feeding bags, according to the Associated Press.
Though the product’s maker has pulled the IV feeding bags from the market, Alabama health officials still have not linked the deaths to the infection that spread through six hospitals.
“There is nothing to suggest the deaths were directly related to the bacterial infection,” State Health Officer Donald Williamson said.
The first infections were reported on March 16, when two hospitals noticed an increase in cases of serratia marcescens and informed the Alabama Department of Public Health of the issue. Health officials were able to link the infection to the nutritional supplement TPN, which was being administered through IV tubes produced by Meds IV, a Birmingham-based pharmacy. Meds IV stopped production of the IV bags and alerted customers to the problem, according to Williamson.
The infection affected six Alabama hospitals, including Select Specialty Hospital in Birmingham, Baptist Princeton, Baptist Shelby, Medical West and Cooper Green hospitals. However, Williamson insisted that the risk is over.
“There are no outstanding cases of this infection,” Williamson said. “It is contained and closed.”
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