A man has died in Wellington carrying a superbug that could not be cured by any antibiotic - possibly the first time this has happened to a New Zealander.
Brian Pool's death was from other health problems not linked to the bug, but the case has prompted health experts to warn that the global overuse of antibiotics is fuelling the rise of such drug-resistant superbugs. Mr Pool had the bacterium known as Klebseilla pneumoniae and was in isolation in Wellington and Kenepuru hospitals, and later at a resthome in Paraparaumu.
Wellington clinical microbiologist Mark Jones treated Brian Pool and told Radio New Zealand that the bug was the most resistant thing he has ever seen and warned that the end of the antibiotic era is looming. Dr Jones said strict isolation protocols were essential when treating Mr Pool because if it had spread, the impact would have been devastating.
Over at Sciblogs Siouxsie Wiles says it is true that the end of the antibiotic era is near:
Many efforts are now focused on finding ways to prevent infections from happening in the first place or investigating how our immune systems could be harnessed to fight the bacteria.