Hospital Babies in Mrsa Alert

FIVE babies have contracted MRSA in the same hospital.

Four of them were still being treated in the special care baby unit at Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital yesterday. A spokesman described their condition as stable.

The fifth baby has been allowed home to recover. Dr Elizabeth Biggs, head of infection control, said the babies had been colonised by the bug – which means the MRSA bacterium was present but not causing an infection.

The babies were all in the unit for other reasons before contracting the superbug. Two of the babies tested positive for MRSA four weeks ago. A third was diagnosed on September 9 and a screening of all babies foundtwomore.

Hospital bosses said they had stepped up infection control procedures