HEALTH bosses have said how ‘constant vigilance’ helped them identify a superbug in the neonatal intensive care baby unit.

Seven children contracted MSSA – methicillin sensitive staphylococcus aureus – at Blackburn Royal Hospital, leading to admissions being limited.

MSSA is bacteria found commonly on the skin and can be treated with anti-biotics. If it turns into an infection in the bloodstream it can cause serious illness.

The babies have the bacteria on their skin – but it is not in their blood-streams, and none are currently ill, according to hospital chiefs.

They are being treated in isolation and may remain in hospital for several weeks to ensure they are free of the bacteria.

Rineke Schram, director of infection control for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said the superbug had been caught at a very early stage thanks to the hospital’s screening processes.

Beverley Aspin, lead infec-tion prevention and control matron, said the hospitals employed a huge range of infection control procedures.

She said: “Hand washing is only the first line of defence.

“Bacteria are invisible to the naked eye, and reproduce very quickly, so can still linger undetected on soft furnishings and clothing.”

Measures include: l Screening patients for MSSA in advance of planned operations, and prescribing antibacterial wash to use if necessasry in the days before the operation; l Isolating in-patients found with a resistant organism or potential infection to prevent its spread; l Ensuring staff are fully trained in a non-touch tech-nique to reduce the risk of acquiring infections; l Insisting staff adhere to the ‘bare below the elbows’ protocol, meaning they can decontaminate hands effect-ively and prevent micro-organisms passing from one person or surface to another.

Ms Aspin said: “Any area which is known to have had an infection-causing bacteria is deep-cleaned.

“This means it is emptied, with all hard surfaces cleaned with anti-bacterial agents.”

Derek Butler, chairman of MRSA Action UK, advises patients and families who have experienced superbugs such as MSSA and MRSA.

And the 54-year-old from Kirkham said MSSA can be lethal if it enters the bloodstream.

He said: “With these babies the doctors and nurses in Blackburn now have to be very careful.

“If they are infected with it on their skin and then are given intravenous treatment this will increase the risk.

“I am sure these doctors and nurses will be highly- trained and will follow these procedures but everybody needs to know MSSA can be contracted in a number of ways.”