After exposure to a superbug called MRSA, two patients have reportedly died and five got infected with a drug-resistant bacteria. This occurred at the UCLA medical center, and was a result of endoscopy procedures that were being performed. It is classified as a CRE bacteria, which means that it is resistant to anti-biotics. About 179 people are in the process of being notified about the infection, and may have potentially been exposed.
Most health facilities do not include CRE screenings in their sterilization and prevention processes. Normally, healthy people are at very low risk for the transmission of a superbug such as this one. However, in nursing homes and hospitals, there is a greater risk. Doctors use a specialized sterilized scope to perform endoscopies, and officials have said this may have been a contributing factor. The scopes have been removed from the hospital locations and are undergoing extreme decontamination protocols.
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