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Investigation launched into cause of infection in two Canadian babies

Infection Control Monitor, August 22, 2008

Two babies born a day apart at a Canadian hospital contracted a mysterious bacterial infection that killed one of the newborns and has kept another seriously ill in the hospital.

Now the province of Alberta is launching a more in-depth investigation into what caused the infections, reported The Calgary Sun. A preliminary investigation was conducted after the three-week-old babies, who were born at Lethbridge Regional Hospital, later contracted the infection (initially feared to be flesh-eating bacteria). Both babies were flown to the Alberta Children’s Hospital, where the boy died and the baby girl remains hospitalized.

A mixed-bacteria infection is causing death of the baby’s tissue, the newspaper reported. Health officials have not found the source of infection or linked it to any practice or procedure. An infection control specialist is now assembling a team to conduct a broader review.

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