"New superbug" 3 years old, but not so horrible
- snip -
"Although some bacteria are very resistant, they are not necessarily very pathogenic," Toleman explained.
He said we all carry E. coli in our intestines and 40 percent of people carry Klebsiella in their intestines without suffering any diseases or problems. So being infected with one of the NDM-1 bacteria is unlikely to cause any problem for a normal healthy individual, he added.
However, the problem is that if the same person were to get a urinary tract infection or blood stream infection, the person would be in a very difficult situation. Similarly, immunocompromised individuals such as people undergoing chemotherapy, transplant patients, the very young and the very old, are also high-risk groups.
So the NDM-1 bacteria are not as horrible as feared by many people in the first few days after the news coverage.
Actually, the British National Health Service (NHS) said on its website just after the media frenzy on Aug. 11 that "the public should not be alarmed by this news," and "regular hand-washing will also help to prevent infections in the first place."
Toleman said "hand-washing is very good advice as these bacteria are spread through the oral-faecal route."
full article
- snip -
"Although some bacteria are very resistant, they are not necessarily very pathogenic," Toleman explained.
He said we all carry E. coli in our intestines and 40 percent of people carry Klebsiella in their intestines without suffering any diseases or problems. So being infected with one of the NDM-1 bacteria is unlikely to cause any problem for a normal healthy individual, he added.
However, the problem is that if the same person were to get a urinary tract infection or blood stream infection, the person would be in a very difficult situation. Similarly, immunocompromised individuals such as people undergoing chemotherapy, transplant patients, the very young and the very old, are also high-risk groups.
So the NDM-1 bacteria are not as horrible as feared by many people in the first few days after the news coverage.
Actually, the British National Health Service (NHS) said on its website just after the media frenzy on Aug. 11 that "the public should not be alarmed by this news," and "regular hand-washing will also help to prevent infections in the first place."
Toleman said "hand-washing is very good advice as these bacteria are spread through the oral-faecal route."
full article
Comment