Bacterial infection outbreak at Rambam neonatal unit kills premature newborn

A premature infant who contracted a bacterial infection in Rambam Medical Center’s neonatal intensive care unit has died, the Haifa hospital says.

Three other premature infants with the same infection are receiving antibiotic treatment and are in stable condition.

The hospital states that the neonatal unit and the infection prevention team are working to identify the possible source of the infection. Measures have been taken to prevent the infection from spreading to other premature infants.

The incident is limited to the neonatal unit, and there is no risk to infants or patients in other departments at the hospital.

Rambam has forwarded a report to the Health Ministry and the National Infection Prevention Unit. The hospital’s neonatal unit is one of the largest in Israel and in 2024, it received the Health Ministry’s highest scores in the health system.