The Ottawa Hospital is battling a serious outbreak of anti-biotic resistant infections due to extremely high occupancy rates. At least one unit at the Civic Campus has been identified as dealing with a germ outbreak.

The hospital says it's experiencing an increased number of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) in its inpatient units.

The so-called superbugs are common anti-biotic resistant germs that can cause infection in some people, and in rare cases could become fatal for those dealing with underlying medical conditions.

A total of 13 separate wards are on high-alert at the Civic and General campuses of the Ottawa Hospital.

At the Civic Campus, the spread of VRE in the Intensive Care Unit is considered an outbreak, requiring hospital personnel entering those rooms to put on special protective gear.

The hospital says the cases of MRSA, VRE and C. difficile account for less than three per cent of patient admissions.

"I would point out that we certainly do have sporadic cases quite often. It's a relatively common occurrence in any hospital. We're also aware that the rates in general for these infections are increasing throughout Canada," said Dr. Kathy Suh of the Ottawa Hospital.

However, the hospital adds that overcrowding is a contributing factor to the spread of these types of bacteria.

"Unfortunately, when occupancy rates are consistently high, we see increased cases of one or more of these in hospitals," reads a notice posted on the Ottawa Hospital's website.

One of the best protective means for staff and visitors is to frequently wash their hands, especially with alcohol-based solutions.

The hospital has since put measures in place to stop the spread of infection. Those measures include:

  • Isolating infected patients in private rooms when possible;
  • Increasing housekeeping in all patient rooms and common areas;
  • Increasing the cleaning of patient equipment;
  • Reminding staff, patients and visitors to wash their hands frequently or use alcohol-based hand rubs;
  • Preventing unnecessary traffic and congestion in the outbreak wards.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Norman Fetterley