New Superbug Found in U.K.

Crap. A new “superbug” has been found in British hospitals that is resistant to the most powerful antibiotics available. It’s thought to have been imported by patients who traveled to countries like India and Pakistan for cheaper medical procedures, like cosmetic surgery. The bacteria produces the enzyme NDM-1, which exists inside other bacteria like E. coli and makes it resistant to carbapenems, the powerful antibiotics used in emergencies and infections that are hard to treat due to other resistant bacteria. Scientists worry NDM-1 could jump to other strains of bacteria. So far, just 50 cases have been reported in the U.K., but experts fear it could spread around the world.