Research centre for superbugs opens
People can help to reduce superbugs by washing their hands before entering hospital wards
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Friday, 05, Jan 2007 02:48
A new national research centre to investigate superbugs such as MRSA has been launched today at Nottingham University.
Some of the country's leading microbiologists, mathematicians and social scientists will work at the Centre for Healthcare Associated Infections in the hopes of developing knowledge about how bacteria such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile are resistant to antibiotics.
Such bacteria acquired in hospitals or other healthcare centres are responsible for the deaths of 5,000 people each year in the UK, costing the NHS an additional £1 billion to treat them.
Antibiotics were first used during World War Two, but since then have been overused and misused. As such bacteria have been able to adapt to the antiobiotics, leaving only a few effective types of the drugs left.
Professor Richard James, director of the new centre, said: "Quite frankly, the impending crisis on the horizon can be called the 'post-antibiotic apocalypse'.
"We are facing a future where there will be no antibiotics and hospital will be the last place to be if you want to avoid picking up a dangerous bacterial infection."
Popular television actress Lesley Ash, who was left virtually paralysed and is still recovering after contracting MSSA - a strain of MRSA - opened the centre today as its patron.
"This centre will play an integral part in the fight against healthcare-acquired infections," she said.
"And if it stops one person from going through what I and many thousands of others have been though then it will be very worthwhile."