British hospitals 'among worst for superbug Diseases'
Pastor Dale Morgan
British hospitals 'among worst for superbug Diseases'*
By Bruno Waterfield and Nic Fleming
Last Updated: 2:22am BST 08/06/2007
British hospitals are among the worst in Europe for superbug diseases
according to figures published yesterday.
Hand-washing station: British hospitals 'among worst for superbugs'
Britain was found to be the fifth worst country for superbug resistance
In a league table of 29 countries only Portugal, Malta, Cyprus and
Romania have higher proportions of potentially deadly
antibiotic-resistant hospital-acquired infections.
Only some forms of superbugs are resistant to antibiotics - including
those known as MRSA. They are part of the staphylococcus aureus family
of bacteria that can live on the skin or in the nose and can cause a
range of illnesses and symptoms from boils and abscesses to
life-threatening diseases such as meningitis and septicaemia.
The bacteria become dangerous to patients once they enter the
bloodstream and those that are resistant to antibiotics pose the
greatest threat.
The European Union's Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
report on communicable diseases ranked countries based on the proportion
of S aureus infections found to be antibiotic-resistant.
With an MRSA rate of 44 per cent, Britain was found to be the fifth
worst for superbug resistance, behind countries including Greece,
Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic.
The ECDC study compiled data showing the trend in superbug antibiotic
resistance in recent years for each country.
The amount of MRSA as a proportion of all staphylococcus aureus
infections in British hospitals was unchanged between 2002 and 2005.
In contrast it fell in other countries including Slovakia, Greece and in
France.
Doctors fear the spread of resistance to antibiotics could lead to
problems in treating other illnesses such as pneumonia.
The ECDC says the spread of hospital-acquired infections is now the main
disease threat in Europe, despite continuing concerns over tuberculosis
and HIV.
The report states: "If the present rapid negative development is not
halted, mankind will soon lose one of its most important weapons against
infectious diseases.
"The most important threat in Europe is posed by micro-organisms that
have become resistant to antibiotics."
Figures released by the Office of National Statistics in February showed
the number of death certificates in England and Wales that mentioned
MRSA rose 39 per cent to 1,629 between 2004 and 2005.
This is widely seen as an underestimate because other causes are often
listed when MRSA could have contributed to or been the primary cause
deaths. Health officials privately concede they are unlikely to hit the
Government target of halving the number of MRSA cases by April.
Andrew Lansley, the shadow health secretary, said: "With 7,000 nursing
posts and 9,000 beds lost in the last year, it is little wonder that we
are amongst the worst countries in Europe for rates of MRSA infections."
A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "The report does not show
that the UK has one of the worst infection rates in Europe.
"The table only refers to the proportion of staphylococcus aureus blood
stream infections that are caused by MRSA.
"Available information indicates that the prevalence of
hospital-acquired infections in the UK is similar to those of other
European countries and the United States."