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Friday, August 20, 2010

Hong Kong : 'Superbug' no reason for anxiety: health authorities

Via China Daily, excerpt but please read the whole article :

" Health authorities have expressed concern about the emergence of a new type of drug-resistant bacteria but emphasized that the situation was not as serious as in other countries.
It has become a topic of global discussion, that the superbug NDM-1 could produce bacteria resistant to the most powerful antibiotics and thus become a global health threat, after spreading worldwide from India.

Hong Kong has reported one case of infection. The patient, an Indian ethnicity, suffered a urinary tract infection in October 2009. The patient recovered without further incident. The Controller of the Center for Health Protection, Dr Thomas Tsang, said the center is very much concerned about the emergence of NDM-1 bacteria in other parts of the world and here in the city. "We do expect to find more of these bacteria in the years to come," he added.

However, Tsang advised the public not to feel anxious because, contrary to previous reports, NDM-1 can be treated and it is indeed capable of being controlled, though treatment may be extended. "We can identify NDM-1 through laboratory tests and we are able to figure out what kinds of antibiotics can cure NDM-1," Tsang said.

Dr Lo Wing-lok, a specialist in infectious diseases, concurred and pointed out that NDM-1 was a rather mild germ considering its rapid dissemination. "If it is violent, it will stick with the infected person and won't spread easily," he explained."

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