Where did the NDM-1 superbug originate? When and how did it get its start?

British scientists said that NDM-1 or New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase was named after the capital city of India. This was discovered by Yong et al and has now spread widely in India and its neighboring country Pakistan particularly in the hospitals. It was said to have been brought from that region to Europe by those people who was hospitalize in those countries.

Those who were infected mainly by NDM-1 carrying bacteria while undergoing surgery under non-fully aseptic environment and conditions. In many cases, people went there to have cosmetic surgery that is cheap. They get infected during the procedure and brought with them the resistant bacteria to their country of origin.In a study published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, Dr. Walsh from Britain's Cardiff University and his team found 44 NDM-1 positive bacteria in Chennai, 26 in Haryana, 37 in Britain and 73 in other sites in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.

Several of the British NDM-1 positive patients had traveled recently to India or Pakistan for treatment in the hospitals there including cosmetic surgery.

The World Health Organisation yesterday announced that the swine flu pandemic is over. Unfortunately, there is a new threat: NDM-1 bacteria. Lancet Infectious Diseases reports that 50 cases of people infected with this new superbug - potentially more of a risk to hospital patients than the notorious MRSA - have so far been identified.

The researchers warn that the potential for NDM-1 bacteria to become endemic worldwide is "clear and frightening" and say we must develop new drugs to fight the threat now. WHAT IS NDM-1? NDM-1 is an enzyme produced by certain bacteria, which allows them to neutralise the harmful effects of carbapenems, one of the most powerful types of antibiotics available to doctors.

WHERE DID IT COME FROM? The clue is in the name. New Delhi metallo-ß-lactamase-1 has been identified in UK patients who had recently travelled to India or Pakistan for medical treatment - often cosmetic surgery.

When these people were later treated in UK or US hospitals, NDM-1 passed to other patients. WHAT IS A SUPERBUG? Antibiotics are our most effective weapon against bacterial diseases such as tuberculosis, cholera and Black Death.

However, bacteria have been developing resistance to antibiotics since they were first used commercially in the 1930s. These 'superbugs' - such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) - use proteins called enzymes to neutralise antibiotics. Scientists are continually trying to develop new classes of antibiotic to meet the threat of these superbugs in an ongoing arms race.

NDM-1, which makes bacteria resistant to one of our most powerful antibiotic classes, carbapenems, is a particular worry because there are currently no new types of antibiotics in the development pipeline that will be effective against it. WHAT IS THE THREAT? Enzymes such as NDM-1 are produced by strands of DNA which bacteria are known to transfer between one another.

Currently two bacteria have been host to the NDM-1 enzyme: Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia (above), both of which are found in the human gut and are normally harmless. However, they can both cause urinary tract infections and blood poisoning, while the latter, as its name suggests, can cause pneumonia. Professor David Livermore, from the Healt "These are not bacteria that are historically very harmful to humans, but medicine has got better at keeping people alive with conditions that would normally have killed them and they can be exploited by these bacteria.

" The worry is that the gene for NDM-1 production will be transferred to a type of bacterium that is resistant to all other antibiotics - and that is easily spread between patients. Such a development would constitute a nightmare scenario. CAN IT BE TREATED AT ALL?

Patients with an NDM-1 infection can be treated with a cocktail of antibiotics, the idea being that it is unlikely a bacterium could be resistant to all of them. However, researchers have found at least one NDM-1 bacterium that is resistant to all known antibiotics. The key to stopping the spread will be identifying new cases early and insisting on good hygiene in hospitals: disinfecting medical instruments and ensuring doctors and nurses wash their hands with antibacterial soap.

IS THIS A GLOBAL PROBLEM? NDM-1 bacteria are widespread across the Indian subcontinent and have also been reported in the UK, US, Canada, Netherlands and Australia. IS ANYONE DEVELOPING A CURE?

Most new antibiotics currently under development are effective only against gram-positive bacteria such as the more famous superbug MRSA. Unfortunately, bacteria that carry the NDM-1 enzyme are gram-negative. The UK's Health Protection Agency says: "Multi-resistant gram-negative bacteria pose a notable public health risk and it remains important that the pharmaceutical industry continues to work towards developing new treatment options".

New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase, or NDM-1 is an enzyme that if found in common bacteria such as E. Coli, salmonella and k.Pneumonia. Virulent and resistant to most antibiotics, the threat that NDM-1 poses to the world is quite serious and the situation could prove to be devastating.

The prediction of millions dying across the globe from this nasty superbug is unfortunately nothing from a sci-fi flick, but a very real possibility. A pandemic outbreak is not a far fetched possibility, but a real one. This possibility is becoming more and more credible due to the fact that there is currently no known antibiotics that can stand up against this superbug.

A last resort and often last hope antibiotic, carbapenem. Is administered to patients when only the toughest antibiotic will work. Unfortunately, NDM-1 is completely resistant to carbapenem antibiotics.

This is leaving scientists scratching their heads and working overtime to come up with a new antibiotic that will work. While the world waits and hopes that there is a super antibiotic developed to squash the superbug NDM-1, scientists admit that there is nothing on the horizon that looks promising. Where Did NDM-1 Come From?

According to British scientists, the origins of NDM-1 is India, NDM-1 or New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase is appropriately named after the capital city of India. British medical professionals believe that the superbug was acquired when people traveled abroad for surgeries; mostly cosmetic procedures, in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. NDM-1 has been confirmed in over 50 individuals within the United Kingdom.

Of the fifty confirmed cases, all had recently visited India, Pakistan or Bangladesh for surgical procedures. NDM-1 has also been identified in Canada, the United States, Australia and the Netherlands. What Are the Symptoms of NDM-1?

Possibly the most terrifying attribute to the superbug NDM-1 is its remarkable ability to attach itself to a variety of bacteria hosts and still yet crosses over to other bacteria that is present. This is not only a characteristic that is rather unique, but a deadly characteristic as well because this silent superbug is able to perfectly mimic the symptoms that the common bacteria would cause. For instance, E.

Coli is the leading cause of urinary tract infections. Were a person with a UTI to also be invaded by the superbug NDM-1, their symptoms would not change. The UTI would continue on with its normal symptoms of burning during urination, back pain, etc. The only difference that would be notable is the resistance that the urinary tract infection would have to antibiotics that would normally clear up a UTI.

Only then would it be likely that doctors would become concerned and NDM-1 would probably be discovered. Unfortunately by this time, many others would have been unknowingly infected. Who is at Risk of contracting NDM-1?

Those most likely to be infected with the NDM-1 enzyme are people who have traveled to high risk areas; especially hospitals in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Being in close contact with those who have recently traveled to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh is also considered high risk. Medical professionals believe individuals with weakened immune systems are in at a higher risk of being infected with NDM-1 as well.

What Precautions Should Be Taken to Protect Yourself and Your Family From NDM-1? First of all, do not visit areas that are known to be more heavily infected. Avoid traveling in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

If possible, stay within your home country until this possible epidemic is under control. Secondly, avoid any unnecessary surgeries or being inside hospitals in general; especially in India and areas where NDM-1 is known to be widespread. While it is unlikely that you would get NDM-1 in hospitals that are not located in heavily infected areas, it is possible.

Last, but certainly not least hygiene should be of the upmost important. Keep your general surroundings and home clean. Wash your hands and your children’s hands regularly.

Pay special attention to small children who are likely to place things into their mouth. Remember, NDM-1 thrives by attaching itself to host bacteria. Eliminating as much of the bacteria in your home is the number one most important thing that you can do to protect yourself and your family from this superbug.

When cleaning, use a disinfectant such as diluted bleach to clean surface areas like countertops, kitchen floors, tables, and bathrooms. Make certain you clean up after your pets and bathe them adequately since they may innocently spread E. Coli throughout your home, preparing the ideal breading ground for NDM-1.

WHAT IS THE NDM-1 SUPERBUG? By Katie Drummond ** Drug-Resistant Health Threat Explained ** AOL News August 11, 2010 http://www.aolnews.com/surge-desk/article/what-is-the-ndm-1-superbug-drug-resistant-health-threat-explain/19589247 A new, drug-resistant superbug has spread from India to the U.K. , and health experts are warning that it could become a worldwide health hazard. An enzyme called New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase, or NDM-1, is the culprit in question.

NDM-1 is found inside bacteria, like E. Coli, and makes them extremely virulent and resistant to most antibiotics. But how is the bacteria transmitted, and are Americans at risk?

Surge Desk checks it out.1. Where did NDM-1 originate, and why is it spreading now? The superbug is already widespread in India and Pakistan.

But a research team, writing in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, reports that 37 cases have now been detected in the U.K. Bacteria are always evolving to develop resistance to drugs -- that's why health experts have recently been emphatic about the overuse of antibiotic medication. NDM-1 is yet another example, with the added twist that it spread and developed in India -- where fewer drugs are available to adequately treat it in the first place -- and where antibiotics are frequently sold over the counter. "There is little drug control in India and an irrational use of antibiotics," Dr. Arti Vashisth, a Delhi-based physician, told the BBC.2.

How is NDM-1 transmitted from person-to-person? The enzyme is found in a myriad of bacterial strains and could spread to more. Those bacteria are then transmitted the old-fashioned way: through food preparation, bodily contact and especially hospital procedures.

In fact, 14 of the infected U.K.Patients had traveled to India or Pakistan for medical care, mostly plastic surgery. That kind of "medical tourism" could lead NDM-1 to make quick headway toward dangerous world domination. "Because of medical tourism and international travel in general, resistance to these types of bacteria has the potential to spread around the world very, very quickly," Dr. Timothy Walsh, the study's lead author, told ABC News.

"And there is nothing in the (drug development) pipeline to tackle it." 3. Are Americans at risk of contracting NDM-1? Yes -- whether you've got a hankering for elective cosmetic surgery in India or not.

Similar bugs have already been detected in the U.S. , Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands. Obviously, hospitalization, medical procedures, and a weakened immune system increase one's vulnerability.4. How can I protect myself from NDM-1?

Have fewer surgical procedures, if you can, advises Dr. Peter Collingnon, an infectious diseases specialist at the Australian National University. But there's only so much you can do. Much of the work depends on public health agencies, doctors, food production facilities, and hospitals."You transmit the bugs by poor hand hygiene, for instance, or poor infectious control in hospitals," he told ABC Australia.

"You've got to actually make sure you've got access to a safe water supply, a safe food supply, not use these important antibiotics needlessly in food animals. " 5. When can we expect a treatment for NDM-1?

The Lancet team warns that there's no emerging class of drugs that'll effectively tackle the superbug. And so far, major pharmaceutical companies aren't offering a straight answer. Most of them have steered clear of investing in new antibiotic products because of the relatively small payoff.

But thanks to NDM-1 and other highly virulent bugs, some seem to be changing their tune. Indeed, there's now "great value" in antibiotic pharmaceuticals, Anders Ekblom, head of development at AstraZeneca, told ABC News."We've long recognized the growing need for new antibiotics, he said. "Bacteria are continually developing resistance to our arsenal of antibiotics, and NDM-1 is just the latest example.

" THANKS...

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.