Brockville General Hospital declares CPO outbreak

Brockville, ON – October 31, 2025 – Brockville General, in consultation with the Southeast Health Unit, have declared an outbreak of Carbapenemase-Producing Organisms (CPO) on the Inpatient Medical Surgical Level 2 (2 East).

Carbapenemase producing organisms (CPOs) are a family of bacteria, many of which live naturally in our bowels. CPOs produce carbapenemase enzymes that can break down many types of antibiotics, making the bacteria very resistant. Most people who carry CPO have no symptoms of infection and are said to be colonized. The main site of colonization of CPO is the bowel. Infection occurs when CPO enters the body at specific sites and causes symptoms of disease.

What We’re Doing

CPO can be spread from one person to another by unwashed hands or from contact with soiled equipment and surfaces.

To ensure our patients are safe, physicians and staff are taking several precautions:

• Using personal protective equipment (PPE) and placing clear instructions outside patient rooms to help prevent the spread of infection
• Cleaning surfaces frequently, especially in shared areas.

Room Changes

As an extra precaution, some patients may be moved to other areas of the hospital. If this happens, the healthcare team will:

• Notify the patient’s loved ones.
• Share any updated visiting guidelines.

How You Can Help

To support infection control during the outbreak, we ask that:

• Visits be limited to two people at a time per patient
• Please check in at the nursing station prior to visiting your loved one
• When visiting:
• Wash your hands upon entering the unit
• Wash your hands before and after entering the room
• Use the protective equipment listed outside the patient’s room
• Avoid sharing food, drinks, or personal items (like phones or tablets) with the patient