New antibiotic resistant bacteria have started popping up all over the world and have recently surfaced in three states. The gene behind the bacteria is emanating from India where numerous cases have been identified, and it seems to be spreading through people who have gone to India for medical care.
News of the gene, dubbed the NDM-1 and named for New Delhi, is spreading quickly in medical circles. Concerns are rising quickly because of the way the gene is spread. It is adaptable and can easily attach to a number of common germs. On top of that, it is very resistant to traditional drug therapies. So-called "superbugs" are the result.
To date, the gene seems to be traveling in bacteria that cause urinary tract or gut infections. In addition to the cases in India, dozens of cases have been identified in Britain and three in the U.S.; one each in California, Illinois and Massachusetts. Health officials, however, warn against pushing doctors to prescribe unnecessary antibiotics because that can compound the resistance problem. Instead, push for a definitive diagnosis and if you receive one, follow the antibiotic directions you receive carefully.
Here are a couple of articles that discuss the problem:
Scientists Find New Superbug Spreading From India
and
It’s Not The Superbug, It’s Our Own Stupidity
If the reported data is correct, it looks like the next pandemic is on the way.
Bret Hanna of Wrona DuBois in Utah, focuses exclusively on litigating plaintiffs’ medical malpractice and catastrophic personal injury cases. He has represented clients in state and federal courts, in mediations, and in administrative proceedings in Michigan and Utah since 1991.
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