NDM 1 enzyme is capable of intervening in other bacteria strains and may end in formation of another superbug. This may cause resistant to most last-resort drugs.

What is superbug ?

When a bacterium is exposed to one particular antibiotic, the antibiotic either kills or slows down the growth of the bacteria. In this process of killing the bacteria, the nature begins its war and tries to fight against the science. Natural selection is the mechanism by which some of the bacteria are trained to survive against the antibiotic and able to reproduce some of the traits genetically inherited to survive against the antibiotic. This inheritance is passed on to the next generation. These inheritance of resistance by natural mechanism is able to pass on to other members of the group of bacteria and the continuation of the natural process reaches to the whole group of bacteria which eventually resulted in survival ability when exposed to any antibiotic. While a bacterium contains several resistance genes it becomes superior to raise the war to fight against all available antibiotics and emerges as a superbug.

Formation of superbug:

It is a well known fact that the usage of antibiotic for a longer time against a disease, gave room for the bacteria to grow in such a way to resist the particular antibiotic by natural mechanism of natural selection of selecting and replicating bacteria that is superior in resisting antibiotic. Over-use, mis-use, failure in taking adequate antibiotic for a course prescribed and self-prescription are the main causes in forming superbugs.

First detection of NDM 1 and belief of origination by experts:

A 59 year old patient of Swedish was discharged from hospital at Ludhiana where she was treated and on her admission at one of the Swedish hospitals where she was found to be acquired with antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection during his stay in India and this happened in Dec- 2009.

A host gene which was able to produce the enzyme NDM 1 (New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase -1) was found in a bacteria and this can destroy carbapenem antibiotic.

The gene were detected in anti –carbapenem bacteria in 37 patients at UK, in 3 cases at U.S., 44 in Chennai, 26 in Haryana and 73 in Pakistan. It made to multinational studies about the origination of the superbug. The study revealed the connection about India and Pakistan and the experts started belief about the origination from India. So far experts found this NDM 1 as the guest in host bacteria E.coli.

Reasons for alarming:

1. This resistant by superbug may fail in treatment by antibiotic in several diseases.
2. This resistant may be passed on to several other strains of bacteria which may result in total resistant to any type of broad spectrum antibiotic.
3. Solution for this multi-resistant resulted by NDM 1 will take a long time to combat against this multi resistant bacteria which may result in failure of treatment by using antibiotics until then.