Health News
Taiwan guards against superbug
Sep 9, 2010, 9:49 GMT
Taipei - Taiwan's Premier Wu Den-yih on Thursday urged the island to guard against an antibiotic-resistant superbug.
'Some countries and regions have reported cases of superbug infection. Although experts believe the patients were infected while seeking treatment in hospitals in India and Pakistan, there is the possibility that hospital infection could expand to a community infection,' he told a cabinet meeting.
He instructed the Department of Health to monitor developments closely and take preventative measures against the NDM-1 superbug.
Taiwan's Centres for Disease Control urged people who feel ill after travelling or receiving treatment abroad, especially in India and Pakistan, to see a doctor.
Hospitals must report suspected superbug infection as soon as they notice it.
The superbug has already been found in other parts of Asia with cases in Hong Kong and Japan.
Medical experts have warned that the NDM-1 superbug has the potential to become a global public health problem as it is resistant to almost all antibiotics.
The World Health Organization was due to discuss the superbug at its Regional Committee Meeting for South-East Asia, scheduled for September 7-10 in Bangkok, Thailand.
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