SEOUL, July 17: South Korea’s medical world was put on alert on Wednesday as researchers spoke of superbacteria resistant to the toughest antibiotics spreading in Asia.

There is no effective weapon against the deadly bacteria because their unique enzyme breaks down antibiotic substances, according to a Yonsei University Hospital research team.

Team leader Lee Gyung-Won said the bacteria were among the most worrying problems for doctors as they spread quickly through hospitals.

His team tested body waste samples from 7,275 patients from 28 hospitals and found 82 people infected with the bacteria with a new type enzyme called VIM-2.

The bacteria with VIM-2 enzymes was first reported in France in 2000. It is the first time the superbacteria have been discovered in Asia.

“The superbacteria was the result of excessive use of antibiotics,” Lee told reporters.

The bacteria are resistant to Carpapenem, the most powerful antibiotic, he said.

Lee said VIM-2 is especially dangerous because it invades other bacteria and renders them immune.

“This makes bacteria resistant to antibiotics and patients vulnerable to Sepsis or blood poisoning,” he said.—AFP