Super-bug: Direct infection kills 2

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IMPROPER USE OF ANTIBIOTICS A HAZARD: Dr Chua speaking at the press conference regarding CRE cases that occurred in Sibu Hospital. With him are Soon Koh (left) and Dr Zulkifli.

Exact cause of 8 fatalities from CRE positive cases at Sibu Hospital yet to be ascertained

KUCHING: Two of the 10 fatalities from Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobaceriaceae (CRE) positive cases reported in Sibu Hospital this year were due to direct infection.

The exact cause of the remaining eight cases has not been confi rmed yet.

State Health Department statistics showed that 38 cases were reported up till August 14 this year at Sibu Hospital, with four cases treated as CRE infections and the rest colonisers.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh yesterday urged the public not to panic, and assured that the health authorities were taking steps to curb its spread.

“ There is no c ause for alarm, despite claims by Bukit Assek assemblyman Wong Ho Leng that CRE or ‘super-bug’ infections are prevalent at Sibu Hospital.

“He (Ho Leng) made an error by alleging that hospital workers, particularly nurses, were being vaccinated against CRE. This insinuated that we only take care of our own workers, and not the public. This is not true,” he said in a press conference at his office here yesterday.

Soon Koh stressed there was neither discrimination nor coverups on this issue.

“There is no such thing as camouflaging the truth. We are just as anxious as anybody to make known the type of diseases which affect us.

“As a ‘wakil rakyat’, he (Ho Leng) should have consulted doctors at the hospital and get his facts correct before making public statements in order not to create unnecessary worries among the public.”

CRE, Soon Koh said, was not confi ned to Sibu Hospital alone, but is a global phenomenon.

Nevertheless, he advised the public to take preventive measures to curb its spread.

“Practise personal hygiene like washing your hands whenever and wherever possible is very important to prevent contraction or spread of diseases.

“When visiting patients in hospitals, family members or friends of patients are advised to take turns to visit. Refrain from overcrowding because this will create an environment for diseases to spread.”

Meanwhile, Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) State Infection Disease Physician Dr Chua Hock Hin, who was also present, said in addition to the four CRE cases treated as infections in Sibu Hospital, there was one such case at SGH this year.

He explained that CRE infections occurred due to years of inappropriate use of antibiotics.

“This (CRE) did not occur overnight. It is due to years of overuse or rather inappropriate use of antibiotics in the community as well as in hospitals.

“Secondly, what propagates it is because infection control practice (ICP) was not emphasised,” he said on the two factors that caused the increase in the number of CRE cases or other drug-resistant cases.

Drug resistance organisms such as CRE are emerging throughout the world, and in a bid to curb the spread of such diseases, Dr Chua said SGH had been working hard to improve the level of ICP at hospitals in the state.

“By increasing awareness on the importance of ICP, we can cut down on transmission of drugresistant organisms.”

He said SGH was carrying out an Antibiotic Stewardship Programme, where the use of high-end antibiotics would be examined.

“By doing so, we can cut down on unnecessary use of antibiotics and would only limit its use when it is necessary.”

Dr Chua said CRE infections, which usually occur among individuals with a low immune system, affect people from all age groups – from babies to senior citizens.

“If patients are found to be CRE positive, we will isolate them immediately while waiting for lab results.”

Also present at the press conference were Assistant Minister of Public Health Dr Jerip Susil and State Health Director Datu Dr Zulkifli Jantan.