Deadly bug likely to have been carried from prison

The emergence in Whangarei Hospital of a patient with pneumonia from prison had sparked a response to incursions by superbugs. Photo / File

A young inmate who died after two weeks on life support likely carried the superbug which killed him into the hospital from prison.

It has sparked questions over how widespread MRSA is in prison communities with medics pointing to studies showing high levels behind bars. Inquiries are under way into the death of the fit and healthy 25-year-old inmate who died after what was considered a normal transfer between prisons.

The man was admitted to Whangarei Hospital on May 30, the day after being sent by prison van from Mt Eden prison in central Auckland to Ngawha prison, near Kaikohe.

He died of pneumonia last Thursday. It was suspected his condition was worsened by an antibacterial resistant superbug.

Clinical microbiologist Dr David Hammer said a superbug had been identified in inquiries into the death and it was believed to have travelled into the hospital with him.

Work by the hospital had pinned the superbug infection down as one not likely to have been spread in hospitals.

Dr Hammer said prisons had been found to be places with high levels of MRSA.

The emergence in Whangarei Hospital of a patient with pneumonia from prison had sparked its response to incursions by superbugs, he said.

"We moved to MRSA cover very early because he had come from a correctional facility."

Dr Hammer said the incidence of MRSA in prisons had been identified in studies across the United States.

The type of bug emerged in communities which lived closely together.

It seemed the inmate "quite probably had pneumonia when he came in".

The rupture of the lung had likely given the superbug access to the pleural space in the chest cavity where it became deadly.

Dr Hammer said the suspected likely strain of MRSA was one which was common in the wider community but "doesn't spread well in hospitals".

Northland has the highest community incidence of MRSA in New Zealand at 40.3 people per 100,000 people against a national prevalence rate of 15.4.

Dr Hammer said Whangarei Hospital had put in place a wide-ranging programme to reduce the incidence, which gave greater comfort it was not home to the superbug.

ESR clinical microbiologist and Otago University researcher Dr Deborah Williamson said outbreaks of MRSA in prisons had been documented abroad.

She believed there had never been a survey of the prevalence of the bug in the prison population in New Zealand.

Department of Corrections inmate health director Bronwyn Donaldson said most types of MRSA caused mild infections while "hospital-acquired MRSA has the potential to be much more serious".

"This serious form of MRSA is not considered to be a high risk in New Zealand prisons and health managers are not aware of any recent instances of prisoners having MRSA."

She said prison health services met set standards.