The babies affected by the superbug have been quarantined

The Eastbourne District General Hospital unit has been closed to routine admissions after five out of six babies were affected by the bug.

A hospital spokesperson said the bug may have been transmitted by one of the unit's healthcare workers.

There is no indication the premature babies will go on to develop the infection, he added.

'Difficult to treat'

Dr David Scott, from East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We do not actually know how the germ was passed on and we can only speculate.

"What we do know is that in the vast majority of cases the germ causes no problems at all.

"It is only when a baby or an adult picks up an infection due to the germ that it causes us problems because it is difficult bacteria to actually treat."

The five babies affected have been placed in quarantine to prevent further risk of the bug being passed on.

Rigorous infection control measures have also been put in place at the hospital.

But the babies are at risk from the disease because their immune systems are not fully developed.