Multi-drug Resistant Organism Found in Two Patients at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital

A multi-drug resistant organism has been recently found in two patients admitted to Middlemore Hospital, the hospital said today in a press release.





The Ministry of Health, in consultation with Counties Manukau Health, subsequently declared certain wards a 'transmission risk area'.

The bacteria, known as Carbapenemase Producing Enterobacterales/Enterobacteriaceae (CPE), is resistant to nearly all antibiotics.

It was discovered in a surgical patient following a routine screening of patients' gut organisms by Counties Manukau Health in November, followed by a second patient found with the bacteria around nine days later.

Neither patient appeared to have symptoms or felt unwell with the organism in their systems.

Infectious diseases consultant Dr David Holland said while there is no risk to a majority of the hospital's patients or visiting public, it was important for people to be aware of the situation.

The hospital will continue to operate as normal, Dr Holland said.

Counties Manukau Health have been unable to establish a link between the two patients or identified its source, he said.

While CPE remains a relatively rare occurrence in New Zealand, hospitals are seeing an increase in the number of patients with the organism in their system over the last few years.

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