An alert has been issued about the contamination of some chemotherapy treatments for cancer patients.
Its understood a particular treatment has been recalled after it was found that a manufacturing machine was contaminated with bacteria
Oncologists have been told and patients are being notified.
Its not clear how many patients have been affected by this issue.
According to Independent .ie Hospitals are to begin notifying them today after the company at the centre of the issue wrote to obcologists to say one of its manufacturing machines was contaminated with bacteria that could cause serious and potentially fatal non- gastrointestinal-tract infections.
Chemotherapy patients are particularly vulnerable to infection.
The bacteria involved has been identifiesd as bacillus cereus which is often associated with food poisoning.
The manufacturer is continuing to investigate the matter to see how it happend. It has taken immediate steps to put the machine out of use.
