Scientists at the University of Melbourne in Australia have found a new scariest superbug that is rapidly spreading in hospitals across the world and known to cause infection and even death. They discovered three strains of bacteria in the samples from ten countries, but the most alarming thing is that the strains in Europe cannot be treated by any available drug. They initially begun their research by sampling in Australia and then did a global snapshot and found that the bacteria is indeed prevalent across many institutions and hospitals across the world. The drug-resistant bacteria is called Staphylococcus epidermidis and commonly resides in the skin of the patients. The bacteria most commonly infect the elderly or the patients who have prosthetic materials implanted such as joint replacements and catheters.
Superbug Spread in Hospitals: Complete Insights
Superbugs have been the most challenging and sought over subject after HIV research. There has been active research going on for the effective elimination of Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (Superbugs). They have come into existence due to the discriminatory prescription of powerful antibiotics. The MRSA or the superbugs are resistant to multiple antibiotics. Although there have been various studies and strategies in progress to ward off MRSA, still they are in the naive stage.
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The bacteria infect patients who are sick in hospitals. The team looked at hundreds of specimens across 78 hospital world. The critical thing to note is that the bacteria are in fact spreading rapidly and is difficult to eradicate. Some strains even developed a small change in the DNA and become resistant to two of the most commonly used antibiotics in the hospitals. One underlying reason for the rapid spread of this superbug can be attributed to the extensive use of high doses of antibiotics in intensive care units. It is here the doctors prescribe the most powerful antibiotics as the patients are the sickest. The Research study is published in the journal Nature Microbiology.
