New early detection technique helps fight against deadly superbug
A research team led by scientists at the University of Sunderland has discovered a technique for the early detection of the superbug Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which particularly infects patients with cystic fibrosis or those undergoing surgery.
Some 70,000 people worldwide are affected by cystic fibrosis and on average around 50% of those will be infected with the superbug and 50% of those will die. The superbug is difficult to eradicate in patients as it is highly resistant to antibiotics but early detection can make a huge difference to a patient’s chances of survival.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa also attacks patients with localised and systemic immune defects, such as those suffering with burns, patients with AIDS and cancer. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in the US, Pseudomonas aeruginosa accounts for 10% of all hospital infections.
Now, the University of Sunderland–led team has discovered a technique that can identify the superbug within 24-48 hrs of infection, greatly increasing a patient’s chances of survival.
In the diagnostic method a non-coloured compound reacts with an enzyme present in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and produces a very distinctive purple colour, which indicates the presence of the bacteria. This technique works on 99% of the strains of this superbug.
Professor Paul Groundwater and Dr Roz Anderson at the University of Sunderland, worked on the project in collaboration with colleagues professor John Perry, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, professor Arthur James, Northumbria University and Dr Sylvain Orenga of bioMérieux, France. The multinational biotechnology company bioMérieux sponsored the work.
Prof Groundwater said: “It is calculated that 28% of people who have undergone transplant surgery are infected by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We hope our research will make a big difference in the survival rate of many thousands of vulnerable people throughout the world.