New 'superbug' found in UK hospitals

New 'superbug' found in UK hospitals

www.bbc.co.uk

A new superbug that is resistant to even the most powerful antibiotics has entered UK hospitals, experts warn.

They say bacteria which make an enzyme called NDM-1 travelled back with NHS patients who had gone abroad to countries like India and Pakistan for treatments such as cosmetic surgery.

Although there have only been about 50 cases identified in the UK so far, scientists fear it will go global.

Tight surveillance and new drugs are needed says Lancet Infectious Diseases.

NDM-1 can live inside different bacteria, like E.coli, and it makes them resistant to one of the most powerf

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.dailymail.co.uk

All of a sudden this is on the front page of the BBC news website. I've searched here but can't find a link to anything on it.

It seems this is an enzyme that lives inside other bacteria, making those bacteria resistant to all current antibiotics. I've never heard of anything like this (research!).

According to the article the major concern is that it gets into something that's very easily transmissible in humans. It's already shown "patient to patient transmission."

Sounds pretty serious, or then again it could be just be the MSM's shiny new scary health story.

The only other outlet carrying it according to google is The Daily Mail. It posted a story a year ago ( almost exactly - 14/8/2009) that says there were two death "linked" to it, with 17 further cases. The BBC story doesn't mention deaths (linked or otherwise), but gives the number of cases as 50.

For the record, I don't consider the Daily Mail a credible source.

I suspect it's media's swine flu replacement. Having said that, it does sound quite novel - an enzyme?? I'm not a biologist but I always thought bacteria and viruses caused infections - presumably this is some kind of genetic change inside the bacteria the creates this enzyme? As I understand it enzyme's aren't 'transmissible' in the same sense as a bacterial/viral infection - this must be something produced inside the bacteria, by the bacteria, surely? Please correct me someone.

According to wikipedia (more credible than the Daily Mail? ), it belongs to a class of enzymes called beta-lactamases....

from en.wikipedia.org...
"Beta-lactamases are enzymes (EC 3.5.2.6) produced by some bacteria and are responsible for their resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics like penicillins, cephalosporins (are relatively resistant to beta-lactamase), cephamycins, and carbapenems (ertapenem)."

www.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

edited for poor grammar.

[edit on 10-8-2010 by eightfold]

[edit on 10-8-2010 by eightfold]

Hmm, more and more odd bugs are popping up, often attributed to 3rd world nations..

I wonder if some nations are getting into the biological weapons game by testing tamed down versions for pandemic spreading data.

Strange this came out on the same day they tell us Swine flu is no longer a threat.

I have a sneaky suspicion that this is just another scare tactic. TPTB need something to keep us all on alert, especially since they no longer have the Swine Flu. I like how they are blaming this on people coming back from 3rd world countries after cosmetic surgeries. How would they know what procedures the people had who transplanted it? Sounds like they are trying to suggest that this is the public's fault, as opposed to the Health Care industry's fault.

--airspoon

reply to post by eightfold


Don't worry about. Super bugs rarely spread far these days.

I wouldn't put my money on V coming true just yet.

There are a lot of articles around describing us entering a post anti biotic era, which is a pretty scary thought.

I would have thought by now that people would have got the message that they shouldn't go running to a doctor for antibiotics every time they get a sore throat or an ear infection, and the fact that doctors still seem to prescribe them like they are sweet is just shameful.

I try to take them as little as possible, only twice in my life that I can remember, and try to let my immune system do the work but that won't help me if I contract one of these bugs

reply to post by davespanners


The last time I went to the doctor they tried to shove antibiotics down my throat I didnt need. (I just didnt fill the prescription) Its not just the patients. Its the idiot doctors.

My elderly neighbor goes in every cold or even for allergies and they give her antibiotics, pointlessly. Surely they could give some placebo to people who just wont leave without a pill?

It really is ridiculous how pill dependent we have all become. But people will be very, very sorry when we do run out of effective anitbiotics. A very good friend of mine had a 2 year old niece die of a antibiotic resistant bacteria that just went wild and killed her within three days.

Expect to see more of that if we do run out of effective antibiotics. We will see much higher child and infant mortality.

reply to post by Illusionsaregrander


Exactly, if instead of throwing drugs down our throats every time we sniffle, we just allowed ourselves to get sick, have some herbal tea and allow our immune system to develop we wouldn't have so many super virus. Not to mention, mothers aren't breast feeding anymore - which is essential to developing the babies immune system.

If a super virus breaks out, and I die, well that's my fate, I didn't have good enough genes.

There are people who are immune to aids for example.

Live and Let Die

(biology not poverty)

reply to post by ghostsoldier


I agree. I didnt get the H1N1 vaccine for the same reason. If I die from it, oh well. I didnt have good enough genes. But if I get it and live, better for me. More immunity, the good old fashioned way.

I dont get many colds or flu's though. Im pretty good with the handwashing and staying away from people oozing bodily fluids during cold and flu season, and I avoid the little viral reservoirs most people call "children."

70% of the antibiotics produced go to healthy CAFO animals to hasten weight gain and prevent illness from happening due to the factory farm conditions.

This is a verifiable statistic. I didn't pull it out of the sky.

Hence, the meat at the grocery store is chock full of antibiotics because the poultry, beef, and fish have been fed feed full of the stuff.

This is the #1 reason behind antibiotic resistance and the MRSA epidemic in nursing homes and hospitals, that is spreading now to schools.

Last year, we had a small number of students on the high school wrestling team with MRSA because of one who spread it from a sore that contaminated the mats. That gets a kid a trip to the hospital.

Back to the basics, guys.

Improve your immune system.

Herbs, especially adaptogens.

Nutrients, especially b's, c, selenium

Probiotics for a healthy gut. Kefir and kombucha are excellent drink sources you can make for pennies a drink.

Most importantly, essential oils. Oregano oil seems to be best for many infections, but others work better in some insances.. thyme, peppermint..

Oregano oil will KILL mrsa.

reply to post by unityemissions


We haven't eaten meat or milk from the grocery store in years.

Local grass fed from the farms, what we don't raise ourselves. Local farmers are much cheaper too, and it is real meat & raw milk.

www.localharvest.org

www.eatwild.com

Yup, it sure sounds like a need for another scare story as they've just lost the swine flu one.

Got to keep the masses in their places and on their toes.

Got to keep them scared of countries/people other than their own.

Doing their best to get more cash for big pharma.

Think I'll become a pharma and grow a few money trees. i hear they produce good fruit. At least if i go out planting today, I'll help my immune system build itself up by getting dirty in the mud.

I hear that messing around in the mud is one sure way of boosting your immunity to many a thing. i grew up playing in it and don't get ill that often so I put it down to that, and not just tough genes.

reply to post by Extralien


Thats why babies and toddlers subconsciously/intentionally put things in their mouths.

This was the top headline just read out by Moira Stewart on BBC radio 2 www.bbc.co.uk... . Please not another health scare. Which pharmaceutical company will make millions this time? Perhaps we should find out who it is and start buying their stock, then we could have lots of rich ATS members.

[edit on 11-8-2010 by Foo_Lovers]

And I thought it was China's antibiotic use we should all be worried about...

They say bacteria which make an enzyme called NDM-1 travelled back with NHS patients who had gone abroad to countries like India and Pakistan for treatments such as cosmetic surgery.

Bloody foreign bugs eh? Coming over here taking our lives.

It's not endemic of our hospitals oh no, it's from foreign practises. Surely it's from the same procedures used in UK hospitals, and is born out of the over sterile environments.

This bug will be particularly dangerous for those in hospital with chronic conditions. I do like the comments above regarding the timing of this announcement. However I will continue on my usual route of not going to hospital if I can avoid it.

www.reuters.com...

Looks like this item is going to be the newest thing they want all of us to know about.

So, whats the agenda? Pharma companies attacking inexpensive drugs...insurance companies going after cut rate surgeries?
The UN looking to implement global healthcare reform?

Or, are we being prodded to ignore something else, and this is the catnip of the day?

Originally posted by Xcouncil=wisdom
www.reuters.com...

Looks like this item is going to be the newest thing they want all of us to know about.

So, whats the agenda? Pharma companies attacking inexpensive drugs...insurance companies going after cut rate surgeries?

The UN looking to implement global healthcare reform?

Or, are we being prodded to ignore something else, and this is the catnip of the day?

Does every headline have to be a secret plot?
Every virus known to man has to be part of a plot to get us to accept our WHO overlords.
Just like when any bomb goes off anywhere in the world, it's a false flag, atleast according to ATS.

[edit on 11-8-2010 by hippomchippo]

reply to post by crazydaisy


Hi five on that. I thought it was just me who saw that on CNN, where they stated that H1N1 was no longer a threat...

I figured any day now we should see a 'new and improved' killer virus...

Low and behold.......