New Strain of Superbug Discovered by Aligarh Researchers

Researchers at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) reveal that they have discovered a new strain of a superbug called NDM-4 which is found in the sewage water of Aligarh. This is the first time that the superbug has been found in India and the researchers said that it was more dangerous than NDM-1 superbug which was first discovered in 2012. The research team was led by Dr Asad U Khan who discovered the superbug in the sewage water around the JN Medical College.

Dr Khan said that it is difficult to treat the NDM-4 infection and the superbug presents significant challenges to the medical community, adding that more steps should be taken to ensure that identify the prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria and develop strategies to prevent their spread. The results of the study have been published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology.

“We wanted to check hospital waste and sewage to find out if any bacteria has developed, which we may not know. This is a dangerous sign, indicating the start of the evolution of superbugs. No need for panic though. It could be dangerous particularly for HIV or cancer patients”, Dr Khan said.

Source-Medindia