Doctors and officials at New Orleans Children’s Hospital held a press conference Thursday afternoon to address questions related to the deaths of five children who died after contracting a deadly fungus transferred to them through contaminated linens.
The Medical Director for Children's Hospital, Dr. John Heaton, acknowledged that a fungal outbreak was detected at the hospital in 2008 and 2009, and he said “an alarm went off” when lesions were detected on at least two of the young patients who later died.
But Heaton said the fungus did not cause the death of the five children, who were all in the hospital with serious illnesses.
Heaton said it was regrettable that Children's Hospital "didn't do a good job contacting families."
