Manila  - Another infant died Monday of a deadly blood infection in a Philippine hospital, bringing to 32 the number of baby fatalities since last month, a health official said Monday.

Eric Tayag, director of the health department's National Epidemiology Centre, said the baby was the seventh fatality due to neo-natal sepsis at the Ospital ng Makati in June.

In May, 25 babies died from the infection at the government-run hospital, which was forced to close its neo-natal intensive care unit, nursery and delivery areas on the weekend.

Tayag said the Department of Health (DOH) was studying to declare an outbreak due to the high number of neo-natal sepsis fatalities in the hospital.

The DOH has launched an investigation to determine if the hospital was negligent.

Neo-natal sepsis, a blood infection contracted by babies less than 90 days old, has a high fatality rate of between 60 per cent and 70 per cent.

The babies can get the infection from their mothers or through the use of unsanitized medical tools and equipment.

The DOH has restricted the number of women giving birth in the hospital while investigation was ongoing. The hospital has also launched a major clean-up in the affected areas. (dpa)