from a bacteria that was in food supplements

Deaths caused by Klebsiella oxytoca have occurred in eight hospitals in Mexico

A couple with a child walk outside the Monica Pretelini Saenz Perinatal Maternity Hospital after the presence of the Klebsiella oxytoca bacteria was confirmed in Toluca, Mexico AFP

EP

11/12/2024

 

 

Mexico ‘s Health Minister David Kershenobich has confirmed the death of 17 minors, most of them premature infants,  due to an outbreak of the Klebsiella Oxytoca bacteria in four medical centers in eight hospitals in the country. Kershenobich has reported that the batches of food supplements  that were supplied to the fatal victims, from the company Productos Hospitalarios SA de CV, identified as the focus of the outbreaks,  have already been isolated.

Thirteen deaths have been recorded in four medical centers in the State of Mexico, three in two hospitals in Michoacán and one more in Guanajuato, where six more cases are under observation, in addition to another nine in Michoacán.

Pollution

Kershenobich said that tests are being carried out to determine whether it is the same strain of antibiotics, since it has been confirmed that the company supplying the nutritional products consumed by the victims is the same and they eat from the same mixing plant in Toluca, capital of the State of Mexico. «This finding represents the hypothesis that  at some point in the process of preparing the solutions, contamination occurred ,» he explained.

Kershenobich stressed that when the first cases were known, a  national alert was issued, which will be in force for at least one more week, as a precaution, since this Tuesday the outbreak should be closed since no more cases have been reported since December 3 .

For her part, the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, has elaborated on the fact that the main hypothesis they are considering is that these food supplements arrived already contaminated from the Toluca factory and has asked the competent authorities to launch a  «detailed inspection» of the rest of the plants.

Intestinal bacteria

The company, which was suspended as soon as the outbreak was known, will be investigated, Sheinbaum said, «because there are dead children» and she invites the prosecutors of the different states in which deaths have been recorded to open their own investigations.  «We want it to go to the last instance ,» she stressed.

The bacteria in question is one of many found in the intestine and, although it does not usually cause disease,  it is often aggressive in more vulnerable people  such as the elderly, immunosuppressed people, newborns, chronic lung patients or long-term patients in intensive care. care. care. Its symptoms are urinary tract infections, but also infections in the central nervous system, the bloodstream and pneumonia. In the most severe cases, multiple organ failure or septic shock can occur.

https://www.abc.es/sociedad/mueren-menores-causa-brote-bacteria-suplementos-alimenticios-20241211093705-nt.html#vtm_modulosEngag=lomas:sociedad:noticia:2

12/13/2024