The KwaZulu-Natal health department said that there has been no outbreak of klebsiella bacteria at the Prince Mshiyeni Hospital, in Umlazi, The Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Department spokesperson Leon Mbangwa said the two babies who died more than a week ago did not have "the same type of infection".

Mbangwa said that it would take three or more infections by the same strain of bacteria for an "outbreak" to be proclaimed.

"I can definitely say there is no outbreak. The test results are out and it confirms that the babies died from different infections.

"One must not get alarmed about this because several factors have to be taken into account. Both the babies were born prematurely, were in the hospital for a prolonged period and received multiple antibiotics," he said.

"Such factors indicate that they were exposed to a higher risk of infection."

He said that two other infants diagnosed with klebsiella were now out of danger.

Last year an outbreak of klebsiella at the hospital was responsible for the death of five babies.