Cheverly, Md.-based Prince George's Hospital Center closed its neonatal intensive care unit for the second time in three months after two newborns tested positive for Pseudomonas bacteria, according to NBC 4 News Washington.
Hospital officials said five babies in the hospital's NICU have been transferred to other area hospitals.
Pseudomonas is widely found in the environment, but can lead to illness in small babies. It is commonly spread through contact with water. Pseudomonas infections may lead to ear infections, skin rashes, but can cause severe illness or death in people with severely weakened immune systems, according to the CDC.
The hospital shut down the NICU after experiencing a similar incident in August where three babies tested positive for the same bacterium. In the first incident, hospital officials discovered six sinks, including four in the NICU, which had been contaminated with Pseudomonas. Those sinks were reportedly removed and treated. Officials reopened the unit in early October after officials said the bacterium was no longer in the water supply, according to the report.
Officials have not yet found the source of contamination in this instance.
"Our dedicated group of public health experts are working closely to determine the cause of this latest bacterium presence. We have concerns over the rediscovered presence within the NICU setting, but we will be relentless in researching and eliminating the bacterium however possible," Sherry Perkins, PhD, RN , who is responsible for overseeing the hospital's response to the situation, told NBC 4.