A multi-drug resistant organism has been detected in four patients localised in one area at Mater Dei Hospital.

The hospital said this morning that the New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase producing Klebsiella pneumoniae was detected in four patients, none of whom have clinical signs of infection.

Dubbed as the new MRSA, the bacterium is a multi-drug resistant organism, sensitive to a narrow range of antibiotics. It produces an enzyme that can spread to other bacteria.

Mater Dei said the management is further enhancing strict compliance with infection prevention and control measures within this hospital environment as from this week.

In May 2015, Times of Malta had reported that infections caused by the highly drug-resistant superbug were on the rise at Mater Dei Hospital, with two patients a day being infected or identified as carriers, according to data gathered by the hospital’s infection control department.

The incidence of the deadly and contagious bacterium klebsiella pneumoniae is not as high as the 2011 outbreak, but data shows a spike during the last quarter of 2014, especially in intensive care.