Today’s news / Mold found in hospital’s child ward
Aspergillus versicolor, seen here in a petri dish at the state fungus laboratory in Birkerød, is one of the most frequently found species in Danish buildings. Another species of mold - Aspergillus flavus - has been found in a wide range of surveyed rooms at Rigshospitalet, a new report shows. Photo: Niels Ahlmann Olesen/Ritzau Scanpix

Mold found in hospital’s child ward

Mold contamination has been identified throughout the Pediatric Department at Rigshospitalet, affecting areas with hospitalized children, such as those battling cancer. Rigshospitalet’s report reveals the presence of Aspergillus flavus spores in 39 out of 50 rooms examined. Besides mold, signs of improper cleaning were found. The infestation may exist in other parts of the hospital as well. An incident earlier in May connected a patient’s death directly to the hospital’s mold, when an 11-year-old boy treated for leukemia died from a fungal infection after being cancer-free. His family has been compensated, acknowledging his likely infection from the hospital environment. Experts have deemed the complete removal of mold with current measures as “less likely”. Patients might need to be relocated, with ongoing consultations from Swedish and Norwegian hospitals to manage the risks. Region Hovedstaden has allocated ten million kroner to address the mold issues.