Public health authorities have instructed that all babies who were transferred from two hospitals in Northern Ireland (NI) to other hospitals since November last year must be screened for the killer pseudomonas infection.

The instruction came as three of the babies who were transferred from the Belfast-based Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital and Derry-based Altnagelvin Hospital died earlier this month from the pseudomonas bacteria.

Earlier one baby died at Altnagelvin previous to Christmas from an unknown strain of the infection.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) warned that more babies could be found infected with the deadly pseudomonas.

Ms. Gildernew, chair of the assembly's health committee, called for taps all neo-natal units replace taps to deep clean the units of the virus.

Commenting on the issue, she explained, "We now find out that it was the taps within the Royal Jubilee Maternity neo-natal unit that were also the source of the second outbreak which saw three babies die as a result."

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is found in soil and stagnant water, poses a serious threat to people with weak immune systems.