Infection Watch

New superbug fears in Ulster

Fears in Ulster - News - Sunday Life.

Health Minister Michael McGimpsey (main picture) has already launched a multi-million pound programme to halt the spread of hospital-acquired infections like MRSA and C-dif.

But ESBL E.coli has re-emerged with a vengeance throughout the UK.

It is contracted by eating infected chicken and other food products.

Two years ago there were virtually no cases of ESBL E.coli — now some GPs are reporting SIX CASES A DAY.

Between 10 and 14pc of people who contract it die within 30 days, yet there is no known strategy to detect and treat it. According to the latest available statistics, there were around 50 cases reported in Northern Ireland in 2006.

Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase is a cousin of the E.coli bacteria found in the human gut.

Tracking global E.coli 'crucial'

Link: BBC NEWS | Health | Tracking global E.coli 'crucial'.

ESBL infections "are currently rare, but it is possible, in the near future, clinicians will be confronted with hospital types of bacteria causing infections in patients from the community - a scenario very similar to that of community-acquired MRSA," they wrote.

The UK's Health Protection Agency said it had been investigating these infections for several years and continued "to review the activity of new antibiotics against bacteria with these particular enzymes.

"We agree with the authors that antibiotic resistance is an important issue affecting public health.

"There is a need for sustained research into both the origin of these E.coli strains as well as the number of people who carry ESBL-producing E.coli in their gut, to help gain a better understanding of the risk factors for people acquiring infections; how they are transmitted and to help develop better control measures."

Dr Andrew Berrington, a consultant microbiologist at Sunderland Royal Hospital, said: "It does seem to be true that what was previously regarded as a hospital problem is now being seen in the community as well.

"These bacteria are not, as far as is known, excessively virulent, but they are becoming more resistant to antibiotics and therefore harder to treat."

Stomach bug that will not die ‘is new MRSA

Link: Stomach bug that will not die ‘is new MRSA’ | Metro.co.uk.

Escherichia coli, or E.coli, is a very common bacteria found in the human gut which is normally harmless.

But some strains – including the potentially lethal E.coli O157 associated with several food poisoning scandals – can cause diseases in humans.

ESBLs are enzymes that can be produced by bacteria making them resistant to the most widely-used antibiotics in many hospitals.

The authors, from the University of Calgary, said: 'These bacteria have become widely prevalent in the community setting in certain areas of the world and they are most likely being imported into the hospital setting.'

Writing in the Lancet's Infectious Diseases journal, the researchers said extra funding was needed to track the worldwide spread of resistant forms of E.coli, otherwise it could soon rival MRSA as a cause of illness in the community.

Britain's Health Protection Agency said of the report: 'We agree with the authors that antibiotic resistance is an important issue affecting public health.

'There is a need for sustained research into both the origin of these E.coli strains as well as the number of people who carry ESBL-producing E.coli in their gut, to help gain a better understanding of the risk factors for people acquiring infections, how they are transmitted and to help develop better control measures.'