VRE Outbreak declared on St. Mary's Fifth Floor
In consultation with the Region of Waterloo Public Health, St. Mary’s is declaring a Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) outbreak on the 500 Medicine Unit. So far, three patients have been identified as hospital-acquired positive cases.
VRE is an antimicrobial-resistant organism (ARO) of concern within hospitals. VRE colonizes patients intestinal tract, and is transmitted via direct contact (person-to-person) and indirect contact (environment-to-person). Patients are routinely monitored as part of the SMGH as part of our inpatient ARO surveillance program.
All infection prevention and control measures are in place to control the spread of the infection and bring the outbreak to an end as soon as possible.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.