Super Bug from South Asia Claims First Victim

Super bug from South Asia kills first victim

A so-called “super bug”  that originated from South Asia just claimed the life of a Belgian male, the first know fatality after infecting dozens of people in Australia and Britain.

The unnamed victim was confined in a Pakistani hospital shortly after being infected and died in June in Belgium, a doctor in the hospital in Brussels where he had received treatment told reporters Friday.

“He was involved in a car accident during a trip to Pakistan. He was hospitalized with a major leg injury and then repatriated to Belgium, but he was already infected,” the doctor said.

Colistin, a powerful antibiotic was administered to the patient, but he died soon after.

Another Belgian was also hospitalized with an infection after meeting an accident in Montenegro but he recovered after receiving treatment back in Belgium in July.

The rising cases of the super bug infections are worrying some health experts because it may soon spread worldwide.

“The epicentre of the presence of this bacterium seems to be India and Pakistan, but it appears through contact and travel, its spread is becoming wider,” Youri Glupczynski, a bacteriologist from the University of Leuven said.

The bacterium consists of an enzyme gene referred as New Delhi metallo-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) which is resistant to most antibiotics, including carbapenems, a drug of last resort.

The gene has been identified in 37 Britons who received treatment in South Asia, the British journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases reported earlier this week.

It warned that the superbug could spread and that tourists are at increased risk for infection.

Posted by George Daniels on Saturday August 14 2010, 1:26 PM EST. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0