NEW DELHI: A superbug immune to almost all known antibiotics has been found in Delhi's water. British scientists said they have found the New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM) 1 gene that makes bacteria highly resistant to all known drugs in the capital's public water supply used for drinking, washing and cooking.
In August last year, after announcing the existence of this superbug created by the NDM1 gene, scientists had said it was hospital-acquired.
"Now, we know it is not present in hospital ICUs but is actually freely circulating in Delhi's environment, both in the water people drink and those that lay stagnant," Dr Mark Toleman from Cardiff university told TOI.
"Drinking contaminated water will help the superbug enter our bodies. However, we still don't know how many in the population are already carrying the superbug," Toleman said.
The most worrying factor was that the NDM1 gene had already spread to the bacteria that causes cholera and dysentery in India, the scientists said. Their findings were published in British medical journal 'The Lancet Infectious Diseases' on Thursday.
In August last year, after announcing the existence of this superbug created by the NDM1 gene, scientists had said it was hospital-acquired.
"Now, we know it is not present in hospital ICUs but is actually freely circulating in Delhi's environment, both in the water people drink and those that lay stagnant," Dr Mark Toleman from Cardiff university told TOI.
"Drinking contaminated water will help the superbug enter our bodies. However, we still don't know how many in the population are already carrying the superbug," Toleman said.
The most worrying factor was that the NDM1 gene had already spread to the bacteria that causes cholera and dysentery in India, the scientists said. Their findings were published in British medical journal 'The Lancet Infectious Diseases' on Thursday.
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