On Wednesday, the hospital discovered a patient admitted to the hospital may have had an active scabies infection. All individuals affected by the outbreak have received treatment, and the hospital told infected employees to not return to work until they are no longer contagious.
“Winchester Hospital has put in place aggressive protocols and procedures to treat impacted individuals, prevent spread of the infection and safeguard the facility from any additional infection risk,” the hospital said in a statement obtained by Boston Business Journal. “We are well-prepared to care for patients with this condition while preventing any new exposure to infection for other staff and patients.”
Scabies is caused by the human itch mite, which burrows into the upper layer of the skin to lay eggs, according to the CDC. The mites are easily transmissible through skin-to-skin contact.
Editor’s note: Becker’s Hospital Review reached out to Winchester Hospital for comment and will update as more information becomes available.
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