Bacterial infection linked to syringes finds way to South Jersey: At least 10 people in Atlantic County and three in Ocean County have contracted a complicated bacterial infection tied to an outbreak from contaminated medical supplies, state health officials said.
So far, New Jersey has seen 52 cases of B. cepacia infection linked to a Texas company’s contaminated saline flush syringes, part of a multistate outbreak being investigated by state and federal health officials.
The state Department of Health issued alerts and warnings last month to long-term health care facilities, such as nursing homes and rehabilitation centers, about the possible contamination from syringes made by Nurse Assist.
All New Jersey cases were found among 19 facilities, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The New Jersey Department of Health declined to identify the facilities.
Dr. Manish Trivedi, an infectious disease specialist and chairman of infection prevention at AtlantiCare, said the bacteria can cause fevers, chills, clammy skin, shortness of breath, abnormal heart rate and other symptoms. If symptoms reach a certain level, patients are often sent to the hospital, where doctors perform a blood culture to identify a bacteria and its strain.
