LHSC declares outbreak of MRSA superbug at Victoria Hospital’s palliative care unit [Video]

London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) declared an outbreak of superbug MRSA, a bacteria resistant to many antibiotics, at Victoria Hospital on Wednesday.

The MRSA outbreak, which stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is in the hospital’s palliative care unit, according to LHSC.

In a statement, hospital officials said the outbreak includes three patients who tested positive for MRSA over a period of seven days, and who were not showing symptoms.

“At LHSC, we screen newly admitted patients for antibiotic resistant organisms, including MRSA,” the statement said. If a patient is found to be positive for MRSA after 72 hours of admission, it’s considered a hospital-acquired case.

An outbreak is when three cases are identified within seven days, or if five are identified within four days, according to LHSC. The three cases were detected through routine inpatient screening, which takes place every 14 days during a patient’s stay.

“Our teams have enacted …