TWO babies have been killed by an infection reportedly linked to their hospital’s contaminated dish soap – sparking an urgent recall.
The premature tots weighed less than two pounds each when they mysteriously died just hours apart at the San Maurizio Hospital in Italy.
The pair had previously been diagnosed with an infection caused by Serratia marcescens, a deadly germ for those with underlying conditions.
Both the babies were born three weeks ago, one the 23rd week of gestation and the other on the 27th.
The babies tragically passed away within hours of each other between August 12 and 13.
The babies developed sepsis from the fatal infection which was linked to the industrial dish soap at the hospital in Bolzano, about 150 miles south of the Italy-Austria border.
The contamination was confirmed by Josef Widmann, the medical director of the South Tyrolean Health Authority.
Hospital director Pierpaolo Bertoli said: “The presence of this bacterium is not unique because it constantly poses a risk to neonatal intensive care units.
“This is not so much because of the type of germ but because of the particular vulnerability of these little patients due to their immature immune systems.”
All dish soap used by the Bolanzo hospital system was very quickly removed from the hospital.
While the investigation is ongoing, the hospital will not be accepting any more high-risk premature babies, medical director of the hsopital Dr. Monika Zaebisch added.
All other cases, in the meantime, will be diverted to hospitals in Trento, a different region nearly 40 miles outside of Bolzano.
Zaebisch added: “At the Bolzano hospital, we have implemented all preventive measures to prevent the transmission of germs.
“The ward staff strictly adheres to hygiene measures. Unfortunately, these two cases could not be prevented,” Zaebisch assured.
Police have launched a probe into the infants’ deaths.
Authorities are weighing whether or not to order autopsies on the babies, which will help determine if charges of malpractice could be made.
It comes after two people in Italy died after eating a toxic veggie and sausage sandwich in Italy.
More than a dozen people were hospitalised after eating the poisoned sandwiches from a food truck near the town of Diamante in Calabria.
Tamara D’Acunto, 45, died shortly after eating the panini made with turnip greens – a vegetable similar to broccoli – last week.
Luigi Di Sarno, 52, also died after taking a fatal bite from a sandwich bought from the same vendor.
In total, 17 other people have so far been hospitalised with food poisoning within 24 to 48 hours of eating the sandwiches.
They all showed signs of botulism – an illness linked to the vegetable.
