More time is needed to establish if the two babies who died at Durban's Prince Mshiyeni Hospital were killed by the deadly Klebsiella bacteria, the KwaZulu-Natal health department said yesterday.

More time is needed to establish if the two babies who died at Durban's Prince Mshiyeni Hospital were killed by the deadly Klebsiella bacteria, the KwaZulu-Natal health department said yesterday.

Spokesman Leon Mbangwa said health officials needed more time to investigate the matter, adding it may take a while before the results are released.

Sowetan yesterday reported that the babies, born at 28 and 30 weeks, died on Friday.

Another five babies died in the same ward some months ago, while two more were infected with the Klebsiella bacteria.

Mbangwa said there was no need to panic and that the neonatal unit had not been quarantined.

"The doctors followed the normal procedure in suggesting Klebsiella might be the cause of death," Mbangwa said. - Sapa