Killer bacteria Verona, three doctors from the women’s and children’s hospital suspended

The decision was made shortly after delivery to the Veneto Region of the report by the commissioner of the Verona Integrated University Hospital, Francesco Cobello, with the counterarguments requested by the Director General of the Health Area Domenico Mantoan, on the Citrobacter infections that caused four infant deaths and nine permanent brain injuries, confirmed by the report of the Committee of Experts appointed by Governor Luca Zaia.

Regarding the critical points highlighted by the Regional Commission, Cobello emphasizes that “these observations contribute to the criticality review process already underway in the Company.” Regarding the epidemiological trend of Citrobacter koseri cases, the hospital commissioner specifies that “a first consideration refers to the comparison of invasive infections between the years 2019, 2019 and 2020. In 2018 only one isolated case, in 2019 three two cases of which are uncertain as to the method of transmission and origin, in 2020 five cases, one of which is probable and then closure of the point of birth ”.

In bottles, use bottled water and not tap water. – “It stands out – the report continues – that the Company almost exclusively uses milk already supplied by the production companies in liquid form, for which no manipulation is required by the operators, and only occasionally is powdered milk used for particular needs of the newborn “.” In this case – he continues – drinking tap water is not used, but bottled mineral water. “Cobello concludes his report by recalling that” colonization does not mean disease and is not even predictive of future diseases, but only indicative of the circulation of the bacteria “.