NEW DELHI: Superbug found in drinking water! The New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) also known as the superbug has been detected in drinking tap water in the country's capital that may be a big threat to Delhities. It came into light after seepage samples were collected from water pools in streets.
The scientists said that the superbug can cause cholera, dysentery & spread other bacteria & affect 14 million people in the city. They said that the NDM-1 makes bacteria resistant to almost all antibiotics including carbapenems, a powerful antibiotic. People are consuming such bacteria daily in the city. The study carried out by Cardiff University's Timothy Walsh found that NDM 1-producing bacteria from water pools or rivulets in streets & tap water in urban Delhi.
Researchers collected 171 swabs from seepage water & 50 public tap water samples. The NDM 1 gene was found in two of the drinking-water samples & 51 seepage samples. The findings are published online in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. However, the situation has not been panic.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called April 7 as 'World Health Day' under the punch line "No action today, no cure tomorrow". It campaigns about the risks of antibiotics that are losing their healing power.
1 comment:
We need to take better measures to keep a check on the superbugs. Very informative post.
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