The L.A. Superbug Outbreak: Five Things You Should Know
Contaminated endoscopes are probably spreading a lot of things we never even hear about
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Patients at UCLA Medical Center may have been exposed to drug-resistant bacteria that killed two people, the hospital disclosed this week, notifying 179 who may be at risk. The outbreak is linked to specialized endoscopes inserted through a patient’s mouth and threaded through the gastrointestinal tract. After news about the UCLA cases broke, the Food and Drug Administration warned hospitals on Feb. 19 that the devices, called duodenoscopes, can be difficult to clean properly.
Here’s what you need to know.