Microorganisms that develop antimicrobial resistance are sometimes referred to as superbugs(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
A virulent strain of antibiotic-resistant ‘superbug’ bacteria that causes severe disease has been found circulating in a Malaysian hospital, a new study by academics has revealed.
The threat could mean significant challenges for global public health, experts led by the University of Birmingham report.
Analysing 10 years’ worth of data, scientists discovered that most Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) infections at the main tertiary hospital in Terengganu, Malaysia, belonged to Global Clone 2 (or GC2), which is the dominant type in most parts of the world.
A. baumannii bacteria can cause infections in blood, lungs, urinary tracts and wounds. It typically causes these in healthcare settings, such as hospitals. It has been listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a critical priority antibiotic-resistant pathogen because of its ability to resist antibiotic treatment
Researchers researchers found that the majority of Malaysian A. baumannii were resistant to multiple antibiotics, with most resistant to carbapenems - the drugs of choice for the treatment of A. baumannii infections.
The findings come after an investigation of data relating to 126 samples of the bacteria from 2011-2020.
The researchers have published their findings in Microbial Genomics. And the international scientists also found that 97 per cent of the bacterial samples carried plasmids – tiny DNA ‘toolkits’ – that help spread antibiotic resistance.
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Co-author Dr David Cleary, from the University of Birmingham, said: “Our study provides further evidence that the same dangerous family of A. baumannii bacteria keeps spreading in hospitals.
"Despite its importance, there is very little information on A. baumannii from low- and middle-income countries.
“Understanding how the disease evolves is critical in helping to prevent the spread of disease, as well as developing and optimising treatments. A. baumannii keeps evolving new resistance tricks and middle-income countries need more tools to track it.
“There’s an urgent need for continuous surveillance and development of effective treatment protocols to combat the spread of MDR A. baumannii.
"The predominance of the GC2 lineage and the high incidence of carbapenem resistance pose a significant threat to public health.”
Prof Chew Chieng Yeo, the principal investigator from Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), added: “Our study shows the importance of international research collaboration to tackle the pressing issue of the spread of multidrug resistant bacteria, more so when there is scarcity of data from certain parts of the world.”
The institutions which participated in the study included the University of Birmingham; Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia; University of Southampton; and International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.