News Stories, Research and Other Information for Injury Victims

Virginia Newborn Dies from Possible MRSA Infection

A Hopewell woman has lost her infant son to what is believed to be an MRSA infection contracted at a Virginia hospital.
 
Josiah K. Cooper-Pope was born at a Petersburg hospital on August 16, 2010.  The preemie weighed only 1 pound, 9 ounces, and was transferred to CJW Medical Center (Chippenham) in Richmond because of his extreme prematurity.
 
The infant was doing well until August 26, when Josiah’s condition began to deteriorate.
 
Josiah died on September 2.  His death is blamed on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA. MRSA is a antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can be fatal.
 
Ten other children contracted MRSA in the NICU. Intensive-care infants were transferred to Chippenham's sister hospital, CJW Medical Center (Johnston-Willis) in Chesterfield County.
 
The NICU was closed September 24 - 22 days after Josiah died and 28 days after his condition was initially diagnosed. Intensive-care infants were transferred to Chippenham's sister hospital, CJW Medical Center (Johnston-Willis) in Chesterfield County.  It reopened last week.
 
In Richmond alone, 38 cases of MRSA infections have occurred between January  and September  of this year;  more than 760 cases of MRSA have occurred statewide.  Most of these cases were contracted in hospital settings.  
 
Learn more about MRSA in the article, “ MRSA Infections: What You Need To Know To Prevent Medical Injury .”

Read More About Virginia Newborn Dies from Possible MRSA Infection...

back to top