India slams report about superbug in Delhi water supply

NEW DELHI: Indian health authorities have slammed a report in a foreign journal that said water in parts of Delhi contain bacteria that is resistant to all types of antibiotics.

"The environmental presence of NDM-1 gene carrying bacteria is not a significant finding since there is no clinical or epidemiological linkage of this finding in the study area," Dr RK Srivastava, Director General of Health Services, said.

A study published in British journal Lancet reported that New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM) 1 gene, which makes bacteria resistant to an array of antibiotics, including the most powerful ones, has been found in open water pools, water from overflowing sewage and even a couple of drinking water samples. Scientists found more than a dozen species of bacteria, ranging from strains that cause pneumonia to cholera in the samples, raising public concerns.

Srivastava, who is part of ministry of health & family welfare, said the study by Lancet was non-scientific and the journal has repeatedly targeted the Indian capital when it is known that superbugs are found globally.

He did not say what action the government would take against the journal, but said it is illegal to transfer biological samples from the country without the permission of the country's drug regulator.

A separate study conducted by the government in the last two years, based on the stool samples of 1944 pregnant women at Ganga Ram hospital in Delhi found that all microbes in the samples were sensitive to carbepenams, the highest form of anti-biotics. This means the presence of superbug is ruled out, a health ministry executive said.

The ministry has also asked several hospitals in the country to monitor the usage of anti-biotics and the government is the process of finalising a comprehensive anti-biotic policy to prevent misuse of the medicine.