More potentially deadly bacteria found at Maryland hospital

Officials say they’ve found another instance of a potentially deadly bacterium inside a Maryland hospital that was shut down earlier this month.

Prince George’s Hospital Center (PGHC) officials announced Tuesday evening that the presence of the bacteria Pseudomonas was discovered in at least one patient care area outside of the neonatal intensive care unit.

The bacterium was first found Aug. 9 in the water pipes after two newborns died. An infectious disease expert is investigating whether the deaths are linked to Pseudomonas. A number of babies were transferred out of the NICU as a precaution.

In healthy people, Pseudomonas typically leads to only a mild illness with symptoms like ear infections and skin rashes. However, people in the hospital and/or those with weakened immune systems can get severe forms of the infection which can turn fatal. Patients in hospitals, especially those on breathing machines, those with devices such as catheters, and patients with wounds from surgery or from burns are at the highest risk of severe infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

In a 2013 report, the CDC found that Pseudomonas leads to about 400 deaths per year. The agency notes that such infections are becoming more difficult to treat because of increasing antibiotic resistance​.

Crews at PGHC worked Wednesday to disinfect the plumbing infrastructure for the entire hospital. It’s unclear where the bacteria came from.