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Deadly superbug strikes Australia

A Victorian man has been isolated after doctors diagnosed him with the deadly and uncommon fungal superbug Candida auris (C. auris). As this is the first known case of C. auris in Victoria, authorities were quick to put him in quarantine to prevent an outbreak in the Melbourne hospital. The patient, who is in his 70s, is believed to have contracted the infection while in a UK hospital, revealed Victoria’s deputy chief health officer, Brett Sutton. Victoria’s health department is working with the healthcare facility where the patient was admitted to screen any patients who have been in contact with the virus. The state’s health department revealed that the superbug causes serious bloodstream infections and even death “particularly in hospital and nursing home patients with serious medical problems”. “More than 1 in 3 patients with invasive C. auris infection (for example, an infection that affects the blood, heart or brain) die,” the department stated. The superbug is transmitted via person-to-person contact and through medical equipment, such as axillary thermometers. “Candida auris can cause problems in hospitals and nursing homes as it can spread from one patient to another or nearby objects, allowing the fungus to spread to people around them,” the department said. Those at risk include those who have diabetes mellitus, use antibiotics, have had recent surgery or been admitted into an overseas healthcare facility – mainly in the UK, US, South Korea, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Kuwait, Colombia and Venezuela. The man was in a Melbourne hospital for a pre-existing condition when he was diagnosed with the superbug, reported <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/">The Sun</a>. Dr Sutton said that no other patients are believed to have been exposed to the superbug as he was in a single room. Dr Sutton revealed that the fungus is often highly resistant to medicines, which makes it hard to treat. While most people do not get sick from C. auris, it can be severe and potentially fatal for vulnerable patients. The organism was first discovered in 2009 and since then, outbreaks have occurred in more than 20 countries. A warning has been issued advising health services of the case and informing them of the steps they should take if they suspect a patient has the fungus. Any confirmed cases of C. auris should be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services on 1300 651 160.

Caring

Woman with superbug faces losing her leg

A 75-year-old Australian could face losing her leg due to a superbug she contracted in Zambia last year. Sandra Hocking was helping orphans in Zambia when she fell into a hole and cut open her ankle. She returned to Australia with a gaping wound that was not healing. In April, doctors told Sandra that she had contracted a deadly antibiotic-resistant superbug and there was no medication to treat it. Doctors believe Sandra’s situation is one of the worst superbug infections ever seen in Australia and she now faces the prospect of having her leg amputated. "It's a total bastard of an organism in that it's one of the most resistant," Sandra’ s doctor, Lindsay Grayson, told the Sydney Morning Herald. "It's one of the worst cases I've seen." <img width="300" height="455" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/38789/in-text-superbug.jpg" alt="In Text Superbug"/> Two years ago, the superbug, called pseudomonas, was treated with antibiotics but it has since become resistant to them all. "The pus coming out of her leg was loaded with this superbug. We only needed the slightest error by staff and it could spread to equipment and other patients," Professor Grayson said. In isolation at Austin hospital, Sandra was treated with two old antibiotics, one which was phased out due to causing kidney failure in high doses. Sandra was faced with the horrific choice of taking the drugs or losing her legs. "I'd heard of superbugs ... but the fact that I got it ... I was devastated. I cried and I cried," Sandra said. An expert team of doctors from Austin hospital and Melbourne and Monash universities administered the drugs using an intravenous drip. Sandra has also had multiple surgeries and the doctors grafted her skin from her arm onto her ankle to increase blood flow to the area. "This is her last chance," Professor Grayson said. "If this fails, she'll lose her leg. She has a very anxious wait." Professor Grayson believes Australia is facing a superbug crisis as patients are coming into Australian hospitals once a week with superbug infections. "We need people to understand that if we continue to recklessly misuse and overuse antibiotics, as we have for the past 50-70 years, doctors will be faced with the choice to amputate infected limbs or risk their patients' lives," Professor Grayson said. Professor Grayson called for a coordinated national authority in infection control, enforced mandatory reporting and more research. Image credit: Wayne Taylor

Body

New drugs urgently needed to fight deadly superbugs

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released a list of the 12 antibiotic-resistant superbugs that will pose the greatest threat to human health in coming years. The health agency’s list of antibiotic-resistant “priority pathogens” includes a strain of bacteria that’s already well-established in Australian hospitals and aged care facilities, that has the potential to kill up to half the people it infects. The bacteria in question, Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteria (CRE), was discovered in patients at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s hospital last year and has been known to cause pneumonia as well as bloodstream, urinary and wound infections. The WHO is calling on governments to direct more funding and research into this pressing issue, that reportedly has the potential to kill 10 million people a year by 2050. WHO's assistant director-general for health systems and innovation, Marie-Paule Kieny, told <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/" target="_blank">ABC News</a>, “Antibiotic resistance is growing, and we are fast running out of treatment option. If we leave it to market forces alone, the new antibiotics we most urgently need are not going to be developed in time.” The WHO's most threatening bacteria: Priority 1: Critical 1. Acinetobacter baumannii, carbapenem-resistant 2. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, carbapenem-resistant 3. Enterobacteriaceae, carbapenem-resistant, ESBL-producing Priority 2: High 4. Enterococcus faecium, vancomycin-resistant 5. Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant, vancomycin-intermediate and resistant 6. Helicobacter pylori, clarithromycin-resistant 7. Campylobacter spp., fluoroquinolone-resistant 8. Salmonellae, fluoroquinolone-resistant 9. Neisseria gonorrhoeae, cephalosporin-resistant, fluoroquinolone-resistant Priority 3: Medium 10. Streptococcus pneumoniae, penicillin-non-susceptible 11. Haemophilus influenzae, ampicillin-resistant 12. Shigella spp., fluoroquinolone-resistant Source: Fairfax Media Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/health/body/2017/02/the-science-behind-brain-freezes/">The science behind brain freezes</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/health/body/2017/01/natural-ways-to-manage-heart-disease/">5 natural ways to manage heart disease</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/health/body/2017/01/how-to-figure-out-if-youre-drinking-enough-water/">The new way to figure out if you’re drinking enough water</a>

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Experts anticipate rise in antibiotic-resistant superbugs

Infectious disease experts believe an antibiotic-resistant superbug may be more widespread than previously believed, following two confirmed cases in the US. In May, US army scientists reported finding E. coli bacteria harbouring a gene which rendered the antibiotic colistin, generally used as a last ditch effort, useless. But just this week researchers have confirmed an another strain of E. coli with the same gene was present in a patient treated for an infection as early as last year, suggesting the antibiotic-resistant superbug is far more widespread than initially thought. The antibiotic-resistant strain has been identified in over 20 countries around the world over the past six months, although there are no confirmed case in Australia. But the thing that has health experts worried is the possibility for the troublesome gene to leap into bacteria that is already resistant to all or virtually all other types of antibiotics, which would theoretically make a range of infections untreatable. Dr Brad Spellberg, professor of medicine at the University of Southern California, told AAP, “You can be sure it is already in the guts of people throughout the United States and will continue to spread.” It’s quite a scary prospect. What’s your take on the situation? Do you think more should be done to prevent the occurrence of potentially deadly superbugs? Let us know in the comments. Related links: <a href="/health/body/2016/06/paleo-diet-bad-for-heart-health/">Paleo diet bad for heart health</a> <a href="/health/body/2016/07/the-unexpected-restless-legs-syndrome-treatments/">The unexpected restless legs syndrome treatments</a> <a href="/health/body/2016/06/does-cold-weather-cause-the-flu/">Does cold weather actually cause the flu?</a>

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Australia’s overuse of antibiotics increasing “superbug” threat

A new report has found that thousands of unnecessary prescriptions are being written for Australians with coughs and colds, increasing the threat of superbugs. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare (ACSQH) report, released on Thursday, revealed in 2014 that almost half of Australians were prescribed antibiotics, but many of those prescriptions were unnecessary. Professor John Turnidge, senior medical advisor from the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare (ACSQH), said the report reveals the alarming high rates of prescribing in the Australian community. "More than 50 per cent of people with colds and other upper respiratory tract infections were prescribed antimicrobials when not recommended by guidelines," he told ABC. "It's a big problem. We have to convince both the GP and the patient that an antibiotic is not required." Professor Turnidge said that the population needed to be educated that the majority of infections in the community were viral, not bacterial. Viral infections do not require antibiotics. The increased antibiotic prescription rates in Australia has added to the growing threat of “superbugs”, where the bacteria has changed to protect itself from the effects of antimicrobials. Professor Turnidge believes the overuse of antibiotics could explain the rise of golden staph in the community. "Whenever you take a course of antibiotics, you create a little vacuum for the resistant bugs to be picked up," he said. This means people are more vulnerable to golden staph if someone they come into contact with has it. The new report, which is the most comprehensive picture of antimicrobial resistance and appropriateness of prescribing in Australia, also noted that patients were given the "wrong antimicrobial, for the wrong duration". "Many repeat scripts were written when they were not needed," the report said. Are you worried about “superbugs”? Share your concerns with us in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/finance/money-banking/2016/05/10-ways-to-keep-energy-bills-down-in-winter/">10 ways to keep energy bills down in winter</a> <a href="/health/hearing/2016/05/how-to-protect-your-ears-from-the-cold/">How to protect your ears from the cold</a> <a href="/health/body/2016/05/benefits-of-cold-start-to-day/">The benefits of a cold start to the day</a>

News

New antibiotics needed to fight drug-resistant superbugs

A global search is on for new antibiotics needed to fight drug-resistant superbugs that are invading hospitals. Without them, society could return to a pre-antibiotic period where even a simple infection could cause death. Researchers from the University of Queensland, including Professor Matt Cooper from UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), are leading the way to find them. "This is really about saving lives," said Professor Cooper. "We're well aware that the superbugs are coming and starting to rise and affect a lot of people globally — it's time to fight back. We want to work together as a community, find better antibiotics and we need to start to look at diagnostics seriously. Professor Cooper said scientists globally had millions of compounds that they had made, just sitting on shelves. As they were not designed for use as antibiotic drugs they had never been screened for potential antibiotic use. The group is asking scientists to send their unused compounds to IMB for free testing against superbugs and also to check they are not harmful to human cells. "We're really finding the first starting point. What's that compound? How does it work?" he said. "How can we then build on that and work that into a compound that can be used by doctors to save lives?” “It's early days, but it's very promising.” The results of the research will be available worldwide, as the team establishes an open access database. After contracting streptococcal infection three years ago, Matthew Ames, 42, became an antibiotics awareness advocate. Mr Ames had his arms and legs amputated in order to survive when his body went into toxic shock. "Effectively my limbs were dying from the ends and producing a lot of toxins that were killing my body," he said. "That's why my limbs had to be removed to keep me alive and that's the type of thing that happens if we haven't got the ability to stem infection." The antibiotics doctors used on Mr Ames at the time have had serious side effects, including kidney problems and serious hearing difficulties. "Superbugs are more super because of what they can do to you," he said. "They can be really quite common and what happens if they get out of control — if the common ones get resistant to antibiotics — then we're in a lot of trouble. I'm really very lucky to be alive. For me, if we can prevent somebody from going through what I went through then that would be a wonderful thing." In Australia, 170 people die each week from bacterial sepsis, costing the health system about $1.3 billion a year, said Professor Cooper. "It's becoming harder and harder to find new antibiotics," he said. "We're at the last resort where we've gone back to very old compounds that are quite dirty and cause a lot of harm to hearing, to kidneys, and we're forced to use those." Professor Cooper warned that time was running out for the research. He said that the risk is that in 10 or 20 years' time society could return to the age before antibiotics where one in three Australians died from infections before the age of 30. "Things like hip replacements, chemotherapy — they won't be possible any more because we currently use antibiotics to stop those people who are immuno-compromised getting an infection," he said. "The time to act is now." Related links: <a href="/news/news/2015/06/medicine-delays-approval-processes/">Seriously ill patients miss out on new medicines due to approval processes</a> <a href="/news/news/2015/06/most-popular-aussie-supermarkets/">Shoppers are shunning Woolies in favour of Coles and Aldi</a> <a href="/news/news/2015/06/samsung-transparent-truck/">Tech giant Samsung has created a “transparent” truck to save lives</a>

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Deadly superbug strikes Australia

Woman with superbug faces losing her leg

New drugs urgently needed to fight deadly superbugs

Experts anticipate rise in antibiotic-resistant superbugs

Australia’s overuse of antibiotics increasing “superbug” threat

New antibiotics needed to fight drug-resistant superbugs

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