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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4 News) – Four Utahns have gone to Mexico for invasive surgery or weight loss and have contracted a superbug, which health officials say can become life-threatening.
Public health officials in Utah and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are studying a group of surgical site infections caused by a form of antibiotic resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. These infections have occurred in US residents who have had invasive medical procedures in Tijuana, Mexico. Utah is one of the states with cases badociated with this cluster. On Wednesday, 12 people across the United States traveled to Mexico for surgery and returned with the superbug.
"They're going to have surgery, they come back with infections, and when they go for treatment for these infections, they find out that most of the antibiotics you usually use do not work on these infections," says Dr. Amanda Smith of the Ministry of Health. Utah Health.
Smith says the CDC has linked all cases of Utah to the same hospital in Tijuana.
"The CDC worked closely with the Mexican health authorities, and they were able to conduct a survey in one of these facilities, where many patients traveled to the Grand View Hospital in Tijuana, Mexico. identified one of the things they identified was that the surgical equipment was not cleaned or disinfected, "Smith said.
Smith says that patients who have undergone surgery in Tijuana during or after August 2018 should immediately talk to their health care provider about the possibility of being screened for blood-borne infections, regardless of symptoms:
- hepatitis B virus
- hepatitis C virus
- human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Patients should inform their health care provider of any travel and any medical care or surgeries abroad to help guide effective treatment.
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