LONDON — British scientists have found a new gene that allows any
bacteria to become a superbug, and are warning that it is widespread in
India and could soon appear worldwide.
The gene, which can be
swapped between different bacteria to make them resistant to most drugs,
has so far been identified in 37 people who returned to the U.K. after
undergoing surgery in India or Pakistan.
The resistant gene has
also been detected in Australia, Canada, the U.S., the Netherlands and
Sweden. The researchers say since many Americans and Europeans travel to
India and Pakistan for elective procedures like cosmetic surgery, it
was likely the superbug gene would spread worldwide.
In an article
published online Wednesday in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases,
doctors reported finding a new gene, called NDM-1. The gene alters
bacteria, making them resistant to nearly all known antibiotics. It has
been seen largely in E. coli bacteria, the most common cause of urinary
tract infections, and on DNA structures that can be easily copied and
passed onto other types of bacteria.
The researchers said the
superbug gene appeared to be already circulating widely in India, where
the health system is much less likely to identify its presence or have
adequate antibiotics to treat patients.
"The potential of NDM-1 to
be a worldwide public health problem is great, and coordinated
international surveillance is needed," the authors wrote.
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