July 10, 2010 — Is this the beginning of the end of the antibiotic era?
NDM, a gene that makes germs impervious to many antibiotics, is spreading worldwide among bacteria in the gut that most commonly cause infections. The gene lives on a DNA strand called a plasmid that is easily swapped among different species of harmful gut bacteria.
The gene evolved in India — NDM stands for New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase — but is widespread in Pakistan and Bangladesh as well. It’s been isolated all across the U.K., prompting a national alert. It’s also popped up in the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Australia, and the Netherlands.
The bad news comes from a sobering report by Timothy R.
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