INFECTION IN BABIES
FIVE CASES FOUND IN HOSPITALS
“NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT ”
Doctors in Christchurch are on the alert for a possible outbreak of an itching, burning pimple rash among infants. Five babies in maternity hospitals were yesterday reported to be suffering mildly from the rash, which is notified under the name of pemphigus neonatorum. Swabs are being taken from the infected babies. Bacteria will be cultured and each culture compared with the other to find a common type which can be tracked to a source and eliminated. Tests made so far have not shown whether the infection is the “hospital bacteria” or “H-Bug,” an antibioticresistant staphylococcus. There was no cause to worry as the skin infection was the first indication that there might be something more serious to follow jf preventive measures were not taken immediately, the district medical officer of health (Dr. A. Douglas) . said yesterday.
“This gives us a watching brief. If we get large numbers occurring we are able to hop in and do something about it,” he said. “Five cases scattered throughout the area are nothing at all.”
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27992, 12 June 1956, Page 12
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183INFECTION IN BABIES Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27992, 12 June 1956, Page 12
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