Tauranga Hospital is to bring in outside help to track down the source of an infection that has forced the suspension of all joint replacement operations.
Hospital manager Alan Wilson said internal investigations had not revealed why so many people had picked up the bug. Outside expertise was being arranged to validate Tauranga Hospital's own findings.
All joint surgery was suspended a fortnight ago after post-operative infection rates soared to five times the nationally accepted levels.
It was revealed that people who had had successful joint replacement surgery some time ago were still at risk of contracting the infection.
Mr Wilson said the infections were all treatable with conventional antibiotics.
Tauranga Hospital seeks help over infection
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