Deadly Superbugs in 2009

In 2000, at Tisch Hospital in Brooklyn, NY, doctors were shocked to see Klebsiella,a deadly antibiotic resistant superbug isolated from a single patient. The doctors realized that they were facing the first outbreak of Klebsiella ever in the United States. Of the 34 patients infected, half died. (The New Yorker, 8/11/2008, Jerome Groupman) The outbreak eventually ended, but only after extreme decontamination efforts on the part of hospital staff. This superbug is still being seen and treated here in the U.S. in 2009.

The emergence of Klebsiella in the US in 2000 has led to continued outbreaks of the superbug. Klebsiella tends to occur in people with lower immune systems and have usually been hospitalized for some reason. Iraq and Afghanistan soldiers are at high risk and are being treated in large numbers for Klebsiella after receiving injuries from battle. The conditions of medical facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the nature of the wounds sustained by soldiers, contribute to the pervasiveness of the infection and inhibit treatment.

MRSA is probably the most common and well known of the superbugs. Methicillin-resistant stapholococcus aureus originally was found in intensive care units with patients who had undergone major surgeries. The bacteria then spread to prison populations, homosexual populations, and schoolchildren. In 2006 alone, the Center for Disease Control recorded 19,000 deaths and 105,000 infections from MRSA. (www.cdc.gov) Treatment for MRSA varies; IV antibiotics are routinely used, although many do not work effectively. The elderly, the sick and the young have a difficult time fighting MRSA and sometimes require extraordinary care. Along with IV antibiotics, combinations of several mega-antibiotics taken orally are used as well. Hospitals now practice special contact standards to aid in the prevention and spread of MRSA and other superbugs.

However, MRSA superbugs continue to find their way into communities around the world. Here in the United States, newsworthy MRSA superbug infections include the St. Louis Rams football team when they suffered an outbreak of the disease in 2003. The bacteria were likely spread through the skin to skin contact of the sport and shared towels and equipment. Just this past April 16, 2009, the House of Representatives gym was disinfected after a House staffer became infected with MRSA.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is another bacterium that is resistant to common antibiotics like Cipro and Levaquin. It is also resistant to most new antibiotics. Psuedomonas aeruginosa is usually not a threat to the average person, but it is for those hospitalized for long periods of time and with weakened immune systems. However, it is possible for a seemingly healthy person to fall prey to this superbug. Psuedomonas recently took the life of a healthy, 20 year old beauty queen, Mariana Bridi. The bacteria spread from a urinary tract infection, and although doctors amputated her hands and feet, she eventually died from the infection. Doctors have referred to these bacteria as blue green pus bacteria, also known as a gram stain bacteria for the method used to test for the germ. Treatment for this bacterial infection includes multiple antibiotics used in conjunction with each other. There are preliminary steps being made in medical research towards a vaccine, but this will take many more years to develop.

Bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance are a growing global issue. As reported in The Times Online in February of 2009, the majority of hospitals in Ireland are unable to even perform best hygiene practices due to insufficient staff and poor infrastructure. Ireland has now become the number one country in Europe for antibiotic use against superbugs. (TimesOnline, 2/15/2009, Jan Battles) As new strains of bacteria emerge and older bacteria become immune to the current antibiotics, treatments for these infections are becoming increasingly difficult to come by.

Hygienic practices by hospitals can help reduce the spread, but we at home can help ourselves by not over-using antibiotics, or not getting a prescription for antibiotics for a viral infection, which antibiotics cannot cure. Keep wounds covered and clean. Wash hands before changing any bandages and use sterile dressings. When caring for someone else who is ill, again always wash your hands and keep all medical equipment and surfaces clean and sterile. Safe hygiene practices, whether in the hospital or at home, is important for protecting ourselves from these dangerous superbugs until new antibiotics or vaccines are found.