Authorities responded appropriately and promptly to a viral outbreak at a Queensland hospital where seven elderly patients died in less than three weeks, an investigation has found.
The outbreak of the flu-like human metapneumovirus (hMPV) occurred at the Herberton Hospital between January 12 and February 1 this year.
One patient tested positive to the virus while another four showed symptoms.
In her final report into the outbreak, Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young found the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service had acted quickly once an outbreak was suspected and that the care of patients had been compliant with all relevant standards.
She also said there had been no admissions of anyone suffering symptoms in the month before the outbreak and the service's actions did not increase risk of harm to the community.
Three patients and two staff members tested positive for the respiratory illness during the outbreak, which was declared over on February 18.
Among Dr Young's seven recommendations were that facilities work to increase their rates of vaccination and determine isolation procedures before an outbreak occurs.
She also said staff and the public should be encouraged to stay home while they were sick and that adequate infection control expertise should be made available to all facilities.
The Herberton Hospital is a 38-bed long-term facility providing aged and palliative care.
Dr Young noted the hospital, which is only airconditioned in communal areas, is more than 30 years old and had recently been allocated extra funding by the service for upgrades.
Despite its age, "it is well maintained and achieves very high levels of cleanliness," she wrote.
All seven deaths have been reported to the coroner.
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