LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (News release) The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) is aware of two cases of an antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Arkansans who had surgery in Tijuana, Mexico. These cases have been linked to a national outbreak.
As part of the investigation of these infections, Mexican health officials identified poor infection control practices at Grand View Hospital, including unsafe processes for cleaning surgical equipment. As a precaution, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and ADH recommend that anyone who had surgery at Grand View Hospital in Tijuana, Mexico during or after August 2018 get screened for hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), even though the risk for developing one of these infections is thought to be low.
Any Arkansan who received medical treatment at the Grand View Hospital in Tijuana, Mexico during or after August 2018 is asked to call the ADH at 501-661-2136 to arrange testing. Anyone who received medical care in Tijuana before August 2018 should talk with their health care provider if they are interested in screening for these diseases.
Additionally, anyone who had surgery in Tijuana, Mexico and is experiencing signs of an infection, such as fever or redness, pus or swelling at their surgical incision site, should seek medical care immediately as serious complications may result without prompt treatment. Patients should make sure to tell their health care provider about their travel and all medical care or surgeries they had abroad to help guide effective treatment. More information is also available from CDC at https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/drug-resistant-infections-mexico.
According to CDC, medical tourism refers to traveling to another country for medical care. More information about medical tourism and the risks can be found here: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/medical-tourism.
