NEW INFORMATION FROM the HSE has found that a strain of a superbug is on the rise in Irish hospitals.

The most recent performance report from the health service looks at how the service was shaping up in September.

It is noted that while the rate of MRSA bloodstream infections has been on the decline, the national rate of MSSA has increased.

Left untreated, MSSA infections can potentially cause cellulitis, food poisoning, infection of hair follicles, boils and impetigo.

Should people be worried?

The two infections are closely related as they both come from the same germ, Staphylococcus aureaus.

MSSA and MRSA only differ in their resistance to antibiotics.

This is key though, as it means that MSSA is much more treatable than MRSA.

The HSE has said that all hospitals “should be closely monitoring” occurrence rates and that programmes should be in place to prevent any healthcare-associated cases from happening.

Other incidents 

Also included in the report are figures on the number of serious reportable events.

Up to September 2015 there have been 179, 19 of which happened during the month. 

34 of the 49 hospitals under the HSE’s remit saw events reported.

Last month it was revealed serious reportable events in 2014 included sexual assaults against patients and surgery being performed on the wrong individual.

Read: ‘Invincible’ bacteria will make common diseases untreatable

Also: Antibiotics are creating superbugs