Limit on antibiotics as superbug cases rise

A big increase in cases of a potentially fatal superbug was reported last year.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria cases - methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus - increased 72.6 per cent last year, from 1003 to 1731 or 167 per cent on 1999, said the Institute of Environmental Science and Research.

Ministry of Health official Gillian Bohm said the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria was a concern and an international trend.

Three-quarters of cases in 2000 and last year were either hospital patients or those that were in hospital in the previous three months.

She attributed the rise to increased surveillance in hospitals and the community's identifying more cases, as well as excessive use of antibiotics, which caused antibiotic resistance.

The ministry, Pharmac and doctors were trying to limit the use of antibiotics.

- NZPA

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