KARACHI: Ninety-five per cent of the 2,000 patients were found to have germs resistant to a wide-range of antibiotics, pointed out Dr Nizam Damani, consultant at the WHO Global Infection Prevention and Control Unit in Geneva, Switzerland, during a session at the 32nd PMA Biennial Medical Con­ference held at a local hotel on Saturday.

Giving a presentation on the global threat of antibiotic resistance, he said deaths from drug resistant infections set to skyrocket in coming years and it was estimated that 10 million people would die of antimicrobial resistant infections by 2050.

Lack of education in antibiotic prescription, good quality microbiological labs, basic infection control measures, over the counter availability of antibiotics and counterfeit products were some major factors contributing to the rise in drug resistant infections.

Sharing the preliminary findings of a study, he said: “Ninety-five per cent Civil Hospital Karachi patients out of

2,000 tested positive for bacteria that produce enzymes called extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs), which are resistant to many penicillin and cephalosporin antibiotics and often to other types of antibiotic.

“Four per cent samples of drinking water were tested positive for New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase-1 (NDM-1), an enzyme that makes bacteria resistant to a broad range of beta-lactam antibiotics.

“These include the antibiotics of the carbapenem family, which are a mainstay for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections,” he explained.

The study still in progress was being conducted by Prof Tim Walsh of Cardiff University, UK, he added.

Referring to a 2011 study conducted at two hospitals in Rawalpindi, he said that it showed high prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria with the NDM-1 enzyme.

According to Dr Damani, substantial evidence had shown that hand hygiene reduced MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Sta­phylococcus aureus), a bacteria resistant to many antibiotics.

“The benefits of hand-washing with soap and water are huge; studies in Karachi have shown that it can lower incidence of many diseases especially in children,” he said.

Published in Dawn November 13th, 2016