Patient, officials quarantined amid Despatch 'nightmare bacteria' scare

A patient at Nelson Mandela Bay's Cuyler Hospital was placed under quarantine on Monday morning following concerns that the patient with a deadly superbug infection had been admitted. 

Officers who attended to the patient's accident scene in Despatch were also quarantined.

Fortunately, the quarantine was lifted four hours later when officials were given the all clear. 

The alarm was raised at about 2am when health professionals from Cuyler Hospital alerted authorities that a patient from an accident in Botha Street, Despatch, could have an infectious bacteria known as carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE), also called the “nightmare bacteria”.

The bacteria is considered to be multi-drug-resistant – making it potentially immune to treatments.

The patient, medics, security and police officials on the scene were then temporarily quarantined 

A Hazardous Material (Hazmat) team from Xtreme Projects, a 24-Hour Spill Response Company, was also placed on standby to assist with quarantine.

Xtreme Projects owner Kevin Kelly said:“We were en route to the scene with the HazMat suits, mobile decontamination unit and decontamination showers when we received word that it was a false alarm,” he said. 

Police spokesperson Sergeant Majola Nkohli said police were called to a crash at about 1:30am.

“It is believed a 36-year-old driver of the vehicle lost control leading to the Golf colliding with a steel barrier.”

Nkohli police were contacted shortly after the accident and told everyone on site needed to be quarantined amid suspicion that the victim had CRE.

“The crime scene as well as all people on the scene were immediately quarantined and then moved to the Despatch Police Station (a section of which was subsequently quarantined).

“All the vehicles on the scene including the police vehicle and ambulance were also quarantined,” he said.

“All the vehicles and members were released from quarantine after it emerged to be a false alarm."

The Eastern Cape department of health failed to respond to requests for comment.