Two babies on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) have died and six others are infected by a bacterial outbreak on that ward.

Hospital officials have since launched an investigation into this serious bacterial outbreak.

A press release from the Public Hospital Authority (PHA) noted that officials are looking into this bacterium known as acinetobacter baumannii.

The release said all babies in the unit have been tested for the infection with eight of them testing positive.

As noted, two of those babies have since died from that infection.

The bacterium is a species of pathogenic bacteria, referred to as an aerobic gram-negative bacterium, which is resistant to most antibiotics.

The illness can cause severe pneumonia and infections of the urinary tract, bloodstream and other parts of the body.

However, hospital officials said Friday, that the infection is now contained and measures are in place to prevent further infections.

The remaining six babies who tested positive for the infection are well and are on antibiotic treatment.

PMH officials said these bacteria are known to occur in hospitals worldwide where infants have immature immune systems or not fully developed immune systems due to prematurity.

Up to press time PHA officials declined any further comment on the matter.