SuperBug is the bacteria which is immune to all antibiotics available. The bacteria is identified with the gene causing resistance to the antibiotics called NDM-1 gene or called the 'New Delhi Metallo-lactamase 1' gene. At present two bacteria are identified with the gene, the E.Coli and the Klebsiella Pneumonia. It is claimed to be resistant to all but Tigecycline and colistin drugs. A Belgian who was treated in Pakistan for a leg injury was the first  person reported to have died of the SuperBug.
It does sound alarming a situation. More than fifty Britons  have been identified and treated for the Bug. 3 Australians also are identified to have contracted the bug. It was first identified on a swedish national who was treated in India. It is also reported in Canada, Sweden and the US. Most of them have travelled to India for their treatment in the last few years. The bug is said to be spreading fast.
But is this the worst ever? Certain facts that are important to be noted are that a far more dangerous SuperBug was identified in 2006 in Houston, Texas which was named 'VIM-7' which was resistant to all antibiotics except only Polymyxin B. Critics points out that the bug wasnt named Houston bug or Texas bug nor was the issue publicised much. They also notes that a bacteria susceptible to more drugs than the VIM-7 cannot be named the most dangerous. They also points out about the high publicity given to the matter and also the naming of the Bug by a particular country capital (NewDelhi) and not in the name of the professor who found it (Prof. Timothy) or the country were it was researched upon ( UK ) or even the country whose national died first due to the infection ( Sweden ) or the country from where the first person died got infected (Pakistan).
Medical tourism is a popular option for a good number of western nationals. People who have to wait for months and years on an average in their own countries began using the highly efficient and modernised services offered by other countries like India, Malaysia, Cuba, South africa, Israel, Thailand, Hungary, Turkey and few other European nations. It is estimated to be a 40 billion dollar business which is expected to grow to around 100 billion dollar by 2012. India, the leader in medical outsourcing or medical tourism alone roughly does a business of 4-5 billion dollars at present. An estimated 7,00,000 Americans used medical services in outside countries in 2007 and and around 1,00,000 Britons tried the same. The reasons for this being a popular option for many as per 2008 Mckinsey and company reports was 40% go outside for advanced technology, 32% for better healthcare, 15% for a faster medical treatment and 9% for a cheap treatment.
Critics points out that by naming the bug as New Delhi Metallo-lactamase-1, one can effectively scare away potential foriegn customers or patients from Indian hospitals. Is this a powerful, effective business plan executed by someone? Or just a racially biased or disgruntled or attention seeking researcher's plan? Or a much more effective commercial plan by some pharmaceutical companies? The study which named the Bug and told the world about how dangerous it is was funded by 3 pharmaceutical companies one of which manufactures Tygecycline, one of the drug to which the Superbug responds.
Another fact critics points out is that the researcher Prof. Timothy Walsh had been pursing the SuperBug theory from almost 2004 and was never able to hog the limelight hope for. With all his previous attempts failed, critics feel that this was a perfect strategy to bring himself into the limelight.
Researches and studies point out that the Superbug is caused due to continous exposure to high doses of antibiotics over a period of time and that high dose medications were always common more in the western and developed nations. Infact it was in those developed nations the incidents of drug resistant bacteria came into existence. The MRSA and the VIM-7 all were reported first in the developed nations and even once a report in 2008 on London Evening Standard  titled 'The Superbug fear drives patients abroad' was published.
Critics points out that the origin of antibiotic resistant bacteria cannot be outside these developed nations and the present scare and publicity about it could be a stunt by some disgruntled researcher looking for some attention or a commercial plan outlayed by some pharmaceutical companies or even a business breaking plan by few nations disturbed by the popularity gaining medical tourism to discredit India's dominance in the field.
RSS Feeds
Home
 towards Development is the first nationwide initiative in India targeted specifically to address standards of Physiotherapy education.It aims for developing ...&tn=http://i42.tinypic.com/df7nes.jpg)
