News - NDM-1 Confusion

Some confusion exists regarding NDM-1 (New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase). NDM-1 is not a virus.  It is an enzyme which makes gram negative bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumonia or E. coli resistant to antibiotics.  The gene for NDM-1 is a member of a large family of genes that encodes beta-lactamase enzymes called carbapenemases.  Bacteria that produce carbapenemases are frequently referred to "superbugs”  because infections caused by them are difficult to treat with antibiotics. Both of these bacteria are easily neutralized by  Aquatabs Multipurpose  Tablets and used in accordance with instructions will kill NDM-1 “superbugs”  on surfaces in a wide range of environments including clinical settings such as hospitals.

NDM-1 was first identified in December 2009 in a patient hospitalised in New Delphi with an infection caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae. It was later detected in bacteria in India, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. The most common bacteria that make this enzyme are Gram negatives such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, but the gene for NDM-1 can spread from one strain of bacteria to another by horizontal gene transfer. (ref Kumarasamy KK, Toleman MA, Walsh TR, et al. (August 2010).

"Emergence of a new antibiotic resistance mechanism in India, Pakistan, and the UK: a molecular, biological, and epidemiological study". Lancet Infect Dis 10 (9): 597–602.)