Outbreak of Super Bacteria Linked to Park Ridge Hospital

Over the past year, 44 cases of bacterial infection have been reported in the Chicagoland area, effectively doubling the nationally reported number since 2009, according to the Sun Times. These bacterial infections are of a highly resistant strain that cannot be easily treated. Many physicians caution against overusing antibiotics, as this can cause bacteria to mutate into more and more resistant strains. Unfortunately, some of these kinds of bacteria exist, and an outbreak was recorded between September and January. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) got involved, and their investigation traced the origin of the outbreak to endoscopic procedures performed at Lutheran General in Park Ridge, IL. The CDC noticed the spike and got involved to trace the outbreak back to the source, and study the case for preventative reasons. While the usual result of contact is a urinary tract infection, if left untreated and the infection spreads to the bloodstream, the infection can be deadly. To the full article by the Sun-Times click here.