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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : September 7, 2014 10:29 AM IST
A new variant of a superbug has been accidentally discovered by researchers at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), an expert here said.
Asad Ullah Khan, associate professor and coordinator of the interdisciplinary biotechnology unit at the AMU, and his team discovered a new variant of the New Delhi Metallo-betalactamse - also called NDM-4 - from sewage water in Aligarh in February-March.
'(This is) a dangerous sign, indicating the start of the evolution of superbugs. No need for panic though. It could be dangerous particularly for HIV or cancer patients,' Khan told IANS.
'We wanted to check hospital waste and sewage to find out if any bacteria has developed, which we may not know,' he said.
The findings of the study that began in 2009 were published in the latest issue of Britain-based Journal of Medical Microbiology.
The study said it was evident that the superbug has been in existence for some time in the sewage water of the drains around the J.N. Medical College.
Khan said infection caused by the superbug was found more difficult to control compared to previously detected superbug NDM-1, which was discovered in 2012.
He said the superbug in India and its dissemination to other countries was already a prime issue for the union health ministry.
The challenge is to implement policies in order to control the threat of the producers of NDM-4, the study said.
The emergence of the NDM-4 superbug and other variants in India should lead to further surveillance to evaluate the prevalence of multi-drug-resistant bacteria and develop strategies to prevent their spread, Khan said.
He said there was a need to spread awareness on taking precautions over safe drinking water and uncontaminated food.
Khan suggested the prudent use of antibiotics only on the prescription of a doctor.
What is a superbug?
Superbug is actually a colloquial term used for bacterial strain that is resistant to antibiotics. Superbugs have emerged because of misuse or inappropriate use of antibiotics.
Here's how we are misusing antibiotics in general. Whenever you're down with an infection, your doctor prescribes you some antibiotics to kill the organism that's causing the disease in you. If you don't follow your prescription or fail to complete the course of therapy, this gives an opportunity to the organisms to change their DNA (or get mutated) in order to protect themselves from getting killed with the action of antibiotics. Once they get mutated, antibiotics are no longer effective on them, making the treatment totally ineffective.
With inputs from IANS
Image source: Getty Images
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