Te Whatu Ora says it is managing elevated cases of a bacterial infection at Waikato Hospital.
In a statement, it said cases of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) have been identified at Waikato Hospital. Those who have tested positive are being isolated.
Enterococcus is a bacteria which lives in most people's bowels and is usually harmless - but if it gets passed to another part of the body it can cause an infection.
Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus is a strain of the same bacteria which has developed resistance to the antibiotic vancomycin, which means it needs to be treated with other antibiotics.
The bacteria spreads through contact between people, by touching shared items or surfaces that have VRE on them.
Due to the possibility of transmission in hospitals, those who test positive for VRE are being isolated.
Te Whatu Ora said this is to protect patients who are already ill and may have increased risk of developing an infection.
When cases are confirmed any potential close contacts are identified and can be isolated if necessary.
Within the hospital, any area or equipment used for people with VRE is cleaned using disinfectants to eliminate the bacteria.
For individuals the risk of VRE can be minimised by good hand hygiene and thorough cleaning procedures.
RNZ
