NDM-1 Update: "South Asian superbug claims first fatality" - INQUIRER.net

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A Belgian national was reported to have died from the so-called South Asian bug also known as NDM-1 (New Delhi metallo-lactamase-1).This is the first known fatality from a pathogen containing the NDM-1 enzyme gene that is said to be resistant to most antibiotics that exists today.

This comes after the World Health Organization's (WHO) recent declaration regarding the H1N1 virus, bringing down its alert level to the post-pandemic stage. Now, the NDM-1 is not at this point in time a global concern. However, the gene is said to spread easily among different bacteria populations which could cause common strains to be drug-resistant.

Tip of the iceberg

Experts agree that the NDM-1 issue could be much larger than currently reported cases. With human migration and travel on the rise the situation may reach global proportions. In the meantime, the search for a solution is projected to come not until the next decade.


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