Superbug doesn’t pose health risk: Ministry
April 7th, 2011 - 8:15 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, April 7 (IANS) The health ministry Thursday said the environmental presence of superbug NDM-1 gene in Delhi does not pose a public health risk.
“The environmental presence of NDM-1 gene carrying bacteria is not a significant finding since there is no clinical or epidemiological linkage of this finding in the study area,” V.M. Katoch, director of the Indian Council of Medical Research, told reporters.
“Targetting a specific geographical region is totally unscientific as such bacteria is present all over the world,” he added.
A study published in British Journal Lancet reported that the New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM) 1 gene, which makes bacteria resistant to an array of antibiotics, including the most powerful ones, has been found in open water pools, water from overflowing sewage and even a couple of drinking water samples.
The NDM-1 is an antibiotic resistant gene which makes microbes resistant to strongest antibiotics.
According to the study, the water samples in which the superbug gene was found come from water supplies which people use for drinking, washing and food preparation.
The most significant finding is the presence of this gene in bacteria Shigella boydii and Vibrio cholerae which that cause dysentery and cholera respectively. This could make these bacteria drug resistant and render these diseases untreatable with available drugs.
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- Unfair to link superbug to India: Government - Aug 12, 2010
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- Antibiotics can control superbug: Expert - May 04, 2011
- Japan confirms first case of NDM-1 gene, the antibiotics-resistant superbug - Sep 07, 2010
- Panel stresses on infection control in hospitals - Oct 17, 2011
- No superbug, Delhi's water safe, says government (Roundup) - Apr 11, 2011
Tags: bacteria, beta lactamase, cause dysentery, cholera, environmental presence, epidemiological, food preparation, geographical region, health ministry, journal lancet, metallo, microbes, open water, pose health, public health risk, superbug, vibrio cholerae, water pools, water samples, water supplies