NDM-1 Superbug Outbreak

New ‘superbug’ found in UK hospitals
This week we have been monitoring the the breaking news story regarding the new superbug that has been discovered in UK hospitals – NDM-1.
Experts claim that bacteria that make the enzyme (NDM-1) have travelled back with patients who have been abroad to countries like India and Pakistan for treatments such as cosmetic surgery.
This recent outbreak has alerted health officials to crack down on hospital infection control in a bid to prevent the spread of this new harmful superbug.
Although scientists have so far found NDM-1 to be resistant to one of the most powerful groups of antibiotics (carbapenems), researchers from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) have stated that normal infection control measures can help prevent the spread.
These measures include disinfecting hospital equipment and doctors and nurses washing their hands with antibacterial soap.
A Department of Health Spokeswoman has been quoted in the media – she said “Hospitals need to ensure they continue to provide good infection control to prevent any spread, consider whether patients have recently been treated abroad and send samples to the Health Protection Agency for testing”.
NDM-1 can exist inside different bacteria, like E.coli, and the good news is that currently, most of the bacteria carrying the superbug have been treatable using a combination of different antibiotics.
Using our TouchClean® coating on hospital hardware provides an effective way of preventing the spread of NDM-1. The spray decomposes the bacteria in which the superbug is encased – not only do the bacteria completely decompose, the NDM-1 enzyme is destroyed with it.
However experts now fear NDM-1 could now be transferred to other strains of bacteria that are already resistant to many other antibiotics – at least one of the NDM-1 researchers analysed was resistant to all known antibiotics.
According to The Lancet infectious diseases paper, the potential of NDM-1 becoming endemic worldwide is “clear and frightening”.
The Department of Health has already put out an alert on the issue.