Multiple operating rooms at Seattle Children’s Hospital closed after mold discovered

SEATTLE - Several operating rooms at Seattle Children’s Hospital had to be closed after mold was discovered over the weekend, the hospital said Tuesday.

Aspergillus is a common mold that was detected in four of  14 operating rooms and storage rooms at the hospital’s main campus during a quarterly check.

Those areas have been closed off while the mold is removed, and the hospital is contacting any patient who may have been exposed.

“Patient safety is our top priority, and we are taking this situation very seriously,” hospital Public Relations Specialist Lindsay Kurs said.

Hospital officials say an Aspergillus infection can be serious but emphasized that the number of patients at risk is low.

Because of the closure, some surgeries will have to be postponed or moved to the hospital’s Bellevue center.

The hospital has notified the Washington State Department of Health.