A superbug traced to India that has caused widespread alarm continues to pose a health threat.
The antibiotic-resistant bacteria have sickened three people in three states, California, Illinois and Massachusetts. The three had all received medical care in India. Their germs were not killed with regular medicines used to treat antibiotic-resistant infections, but all three survived. There also have been two cases in Canada involving people who had traveled to India and received medical care.They were treated with antibiotics.
The best way to help avoid contracting illness involving these bacteria is to wash your hands, experts say. The bacteria causing the illness can spread hand-to-mouth. A new gene that attaches itself to common germs and confers drug resistance has created this superbug. The gene is called NDM-1.
