Ventilator superbug resistant to antibiotics

Published on Tuesday 6 May 2008 22:06

HOSPITALS face a dangerous new superbug threat in the form of a drug-resistant microbe that clings to catheters and ventilation tubes.

Doctors studying the genetic code of the bug, commonly known as Steno, are worried about its ability to shrug off antibiotics.

Around 1,000 cases of blood poisoning caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia are reported in the UK each year. Of these, almost a third are fatal.

Although Steno infections are still relatively uncommon, they are on the increase, say experts.

The bacterium flourishes in moist environments such as around taps and shower heads and has a distinct method of infecting patients, via devices such as catheters or ventilation tubes entering a patient's bloodstream or lungs.

Dr Matthew Avison who co-led the research team, said: "The degree of resistance it shows is very worrying. Strains are now emerging that are resistant to all available antibiotics, and so new drugs capable of combating these pan-resistant strains are currently in development."