Superbugs: Overview : SBS Insight

Overview

Superbugs are on the rise.

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Since the discovery of penicillin in the early twentieth century, antibiotics have fought infections and diseases that were once life threatening. But over time, many bacteria have become resistant to these drugs and patients are increasingly at risk.

There are an estimated 440,000 new cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis worldwide every year. And there are fears that the problem could be inching closer to Australia's doorstep, with growing rates of the disease in Papua New Guinea.

And it's not just TB. Microbiologists have discovered a brand new superbug – a bacteria containing the so-called NDM-1 gene. The bacteria with this gene are resistant to virtually all antibiotics, and researchers say there are no new drugs on the horizon to tackle it. Cases of the bug have been found in Australia.

Insight will explore which superbugs are of most concern, and whether over-use of antibiotics and clinician hygiene is behind the problem.

Meet the Guests

Peter Collignon

Professor Peter Collignon is the Director of the Infectious Diseases Unit and Microbiology at the Canberra Hospital. He has researched antibiotic resistance and has looked closely at hospital-acquired infections and infection control. Peter says superbugs are a real problem and that doctors need to stop prescribing so many antibiotics.

Christiaan Van Vuuren

The self-described ‘Fully Sick Rapper’ was diagnosed with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in 2010 and placed in quarantine in a Sydney hospital for more than 6 months. While there, Christiaan documented his experience by making videos on his laptop which soon made him a worldwide YouTube sensation. He’s no longer in quarantine but still has extensive medication and has to visit the doctor every day. Or, to put it in Christiaan’s words: "I'm sick and I mean physically sick".

Matthew Cooper

Professor Matthew Cooper works at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland. He has spent years examining antibiotic resistance and leads a group researching novel antibiotics which are active against drug-resistant bugs, particularly those responsible for hospital-acquired infections like MRSA and NDM-1. Matthew believes antibiotics are a precious natural resource and should be treated as such by governments.

Read Matthew's latest article online at The Conversation.

Liz Marles

Dr Liz Marles is Vice President of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and is a practising GP in Sydney. She's been involved in teaching junior doctors for more than ten years. Dr Marles believes that responsible prescribing is a core skill for GPs as they're the ones who treat most infectious diseases that occur in the community. She says GPs have done a lot to reduce the amount of antibiotics they prescribe and that current antibiotic use is appropriate.