Grey Bruce Health Services has closed the inpatient unit at the Wiarton hospital because of a VRE outbreak.
President Maureen Solecki tells Bayshore Broadcasting News they made the decision after four in-patients were identified with the bacteria.
But she stresses no patients are sick with an infection.
Solecki says it’s a precautionary move to ensure no one else is infected with the superbug.
She tells us staff will now go through rigorous cleaning processes.
Each patient will be allowed two visitors but no pets and no children under 10 years of age will be allowed in the hospital.
Solecki says they will also enforce strict hand washing practices.
Grey Bruce Health Services hopes to be able to re-open the inpatient unit by Friday.
Solecki says they need two sets of swabs to show the bacteria has not been transmitted and so far, one set has been done.
VRE — Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus — is a bacteria commonly found in the bowel of humans and animals.
VRE can be passed on if you do not wash your hands and touch objects that other people have touched, such as bed rails, telephones or doorknobs.
