MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

“NEW DELHI: NDM-1, the enzyme associated with extensive antibiotic resistance that was found in India last year, has jumped to new bacteria strains and infected a Canadian, who had no travel history to India.

For the first time, scientists in Canada have reported local acquisition of an organism producing NDM-1 in Ontario, Canada. NDM-1 has been found in bacterial species other than E coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

The findings are in tune with a TOI report a few weeks ago that had pointed out about NDM-1 gene, which has been jumping between various species of bacteria at a ‘superfast speed.’

British scientists from the Cardiff University, who first reported on the existence of NDM-1, told TOI that when it was first detected in 2006, the bacteria were found only in E Coli.

‘We have found NDM-1 gene in more than 20 different species of bacteria. NDM-1 can move at unprecedented speed, making more and more species of bacteria drug resistant,’ said Dr Mark Toleman told TOI.” Read more.