2024-11-10 20:01:00
Scientists warn that a new strain of the superbug Acinetobacter baumanniiwhich causes serious illnesses, may be spreading across Asia. They fear that the pathogen will become a global public health threat due to high antibiotic resistance.
A variant ST164, from Acinetobacter baumannii resistant to carbapenems (Crab), was identified in 2021, in an intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital in Hangzhou, China.
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It is believed that other hospital wards and transferred patients may be the sources of new strains of Crab entering the ICU. Information about the discovery of ST164 and what it could represent for public health was published in the journal Nature Communicationsin an article published on November 2nd.
“We believe ST164 is establishing itself in ICU settings and may be spreading widely across Asia. Its high levels of antibiotic resistance indicate that it needs careful monitoring”, says Professor Alan McNally, in an interview with the University of Birmingham portal.
Researchers from the universities of Birmingham, England, and Zhejiang, China, were studying how combined infection prevention and control measures affected the spread of CRAB when they identified ST164.
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Extensive genomic surveillance in the ICU in Hangzhou revealed that 80.9% of bacteria A. baumannii found in patients were Crab, with ST164 accounting for 40.2% of samples. The new strain is becoming more prevalent compared to others.
“Its success in this ICU and resistance capacity indicate that ST164 Crab is an emerging high-risk lineage of global concern”, consider the study authors.
Crab poses a serious risk to hospitalized patients and can cause serious illness, including pneumonia, urinary tract infection, bacteremia, meningitis, and soft tissue infections.
“Continued infection prevention and control measures are vital to control the spread of these bacteria within hospitals and additional research is needed to understand how these strains evolve in hospital environments”, considers McNally.
Resistant superbugs
Superbugs are a challenge to public health due to the high degree of resistance to antibiotics commonly used by doctors. This occurs when the strains no longer respond to conventional treatments. As a result, the patient suffers prolonged infections, with new hospitalizations.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 1 million people die every year worldwide from infections caused by bacteria resistant to antibiotic treatment. A A. baumannii It is described by the WHO as one of the three most critical superbugs for health.
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**Interview with Professor Alan McNally on the Emergence of New Superbug Strain ST164**
**Editor:** Thank you for joining us today, Professor McNally. Can you start by explaining what *Acinetobacter baumannii* is and why it’s considered a superbug?
**Professor McNally:** Thank you for having me. *Acinetobacter baumannii* is a type of bacteria often found in healthcare settings, particularly in intensive care units. It can cause severe infections, including pneumonia and bloodstream infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. It’s termed a “superbug” because of its high resistance to antibiotics, making it particularly difficult to treat.
**Editor:** Recently, a new strain called ST164 has emerged. What do we know about this strain?
**Professor McNally:** Yes, the ST164 strain of *Acinetobacter baumannii*, which is resistant to carbapenems—one of the last lines of defense against serious bacterial infections—was first identified in a hospital in Hangzhou, China, in 2021. This variant poses significant concerns due to its ability to bypass many common antibiotic treatments.
**Editor:** What are the implications of this strain spreading across Asia?
**Professor McNally:** If ST164 continues to spread, it could pose a serious threat to public health on a global scale. Its widespread presence could lead to increased infection rates that are harder to treat, potentially overwhelming healthcare systems.
**Editor:** You mentioned the conditions under which ST164 was discovered. Where else might we find this strain?
**Professor McNally:** Our research points to hospitals as the primary environments for these bacteria to thrive. We suspect that hospital wards and the transfer of patients could be sources of new crab strains entering the ICU. This means careful infection control measures are crucial.
**Editor:** What steps can be taken to monitor and prevent the spread of ST164?
**Professor McNally:** Enhanced infection prevention protocols in hospitals, regular monitoring of antibiotic resistance patterns, and increased awareness among healthcare professionals are vital. Our findings underline the importance of compliance with infection control procedures to mitigate the spread of such resistant strains.
**Editor:** Thank you, Professor McNally, for shedding light on this urgent public health issue.
**Professor McNally:** Thank you for having me. It’s crucial we remain vigilant and proactive in addressing these emerging threats.