A new superbug being brought into Britain by patients having surgery abroad could make antibiotics redundant, researchers have warned.
By Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor
Published: 6:30AM BST 11 Aug 2010
The new bug is resistant to almost all antibiotics and there are none in development which can combat it meaning it is likely to spread worldwide, according to international experts.
There have been 37 cases in Britain and scientists writing in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases warn it has an 'alarming potential to spread and diversify'.
The bug, an enzyme called New Delhi-Metallo-1 (NDM-1), has been found in patients travelling to Asia for cosmetic surgery, cancer treatment and transplants and returning to Britain for further care. The bug was found attached to E.coli bacteria that cause urinary tract and respiratory infections.
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