UPDATE > Two patients have died and more than 100 people may be infected by a superbug bacteria after an endoscopic procedure while visiting UCLA Health System recently, officials at the university said Wednesday.
More than 100 patients who were possibly infected have been notified and have been offered free home testing kits to be analyzed at UCLA, officials said. University officials confirmed that seven patients were infected.
An internal investigation by the university found that two patients died from carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae bacteria, known as CRE, likely transmitted during a procedure that uses a specialized scope.
“CRE bacteria are most often spread person-to-person in healthcare settings through contact with infected or colonized people, particularly contact with wounds or stool,” according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “CRE can cause infections when they enter the body, often through medical devices like intravenous catheters, urinary catheters or through wounds caused by injury or surgery.”
The infection can cause issues from pneumonia to urinary tract infections to serious bloodstream or wound infections.
It’s called a superbug because it is resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics, the CDC noted.
“Both the Los Angeles County Department of Health and the California Department of Public Health were notified as soon as the bacteria were detected,” UCLA officials said.