The hospital where the royal baby is due to be born was forced to close one of its wards after patients contracted a mutant superbug, it has emerged. A surgical unit at St Mary's Hospital, London, has not accepted new patients in more than a week after eight were found to be carrying carbapenemase-producing enterobacteriaceae, or CPE. The antibiotic-resistant bacteria can cause potentially fatal infections in the bloodstream and urine. If all goes to plan, the Duchess of Cambridge hopes to have her baby at the private Lindo Wing of the hospital, where her first child, Prince George, was born in 2013. A ward at the hospital where the royal baby is due to be born has been closed after patients contracted a superbug, it has been reported. Left, the mother-to-be last month, and the royal couple last week . The Zachary Cope Ward was closed on April 15 when eight patients were found to be carrying CPE, a spokeswoman for for Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust told MailOnline. Of these patients, three developed localised infections that required treatment. All have since recovered. The 20-bed unit, which specialises in vascular surgery, is now undergoing a deep cleaning and patients continued to be screened for the bacteria. CPE can live harmlessly in the gut and does not need to be treated. But they can cause potentially fatal infections if they enter the wrong part of the body, such as the blood stream or urine. A 20-bed surgical unit at St Mary's Hospital, London, has not been accepting new admissions for more than a week after a number of patients were found to be suffering from CPE. Above, the exclusive Lindo Wing . The ward, which specialises in vascular surgery, is on the eighth floor of a building that is across the road from the exclusive Lindo Wing where the Duchess of Cambridge will give birth. There is no suggestion the bacteria could spread to other areas of the hospital. A spokeswoman for the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust said: 'A ward at St Mary’s Hospital is temporarily not taking new admissions after we found that a small number of vascular patients were carrying a microorganism in their gut. 'Unfortunately three of these patients developed localised infections. All have completely recovered from their infections.' The hospital is screening other patients on the ward to check for infections. The unit is expected to reopen early next week. If all goes to plan, the Duchess of Cambridge hopes to have her baby at the exclusive Lindo Wing of the hospital, where her first child, Prince George, was born in 2013. Above, the couple outside the wing .
Duchess of Cambridge is due to give birth at St Mary's Hospital, London .
A surgical unit has been closed after patients contracted mutant superbug .
Bacteria, CPE, can cause potentially-fatal infections in blood and urine .