Surgery was today suspended at Greymouth's Grey Base Hospital after a visiting clinician tested positive to methicillin resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).
A so-called hospital superbug, MRSA is not only resistant to methicillin, an antibiotic able to kill many types of bacteria, it is also resistant to almost all available antibiotics.
Patients are often infected with these bacteria during their time in hospital and the elderly, very young children and people with weakened immune system are the most vulnerable.
To prevent any spread of the bug, the hospital's operating theatres were today shut down for thorough cleaning.
West Coast District Health Board community liaison officer Bryan Jamieson would not say whether it was a doctor or nurse who was infected, as he did not want the person identified.
The clinician was visiting the hospital in the past week, but had now left, he said.
All patients and staff who had been in contact with the clinician were being contacted and tested for MRSA.
Mr Jamieson said the hospital's wards had not been affected by the infection alert, and that it was hoped that operating theatres would reopen in Monday.
This would depend on the results of testing carried out over the weekend.
