CRE are difficult to treat because some varieties are resistant to most known antibiotics. In some cases, such infections are linked to death of patients. The bacteria can cause infections of the bladder or lungs, leading to coughing, fever or chills. The outbreak was discovered late last month during tests on a patient. The two medical devices carried the bacteria even though they were sterilized according to the manufacturer’s specifications, UCLA said. As an urgent consequence the devices have been removed. At the same time, decontamination procedures were upgraded. In this case, certainly seven patients had been infected. Possibly two of them died from it. The patients who may have been infected are being sent home-testing kits, which the university will analyze.
