BSAC advises health professionals and the public requiring information about the E-coli outbreak and associated haemolytic uraemic syndrome to refer to the Health Protection Agency, World Health Organisation and Robert Erlich Society websites for the latest information and updates.
As with all new outbreaks, the current E-coli outbreak in Germany serves to highlight the urgent need for researchers, regulators and industry to work together to stimulate the antibacterials drug development markets.
In speaking about the outbreak David Livermore, Health Protection Agency said: “The strain is resistant to several antibiotics, including cephalosporins. This is unusual for the toxin-producing E. coli that cause gastrointestinal disease, though it is common in those that invade the urinary tract and bloodstream. Nevertheless resistance isn’t the clinical issue here. That’s because you don’t treat haemolytic uraemic syndrome with antibiotics, which increase the release of toxin as they kill the bacteria, magnifying the harm done to the patient’s kidneys. Instead, treatment is supportive.
Looking forwards, it might be possible to develop new treatments for haemolytic uraemic syndrome, for example drugs that reduce toxin production by these E. coli. Here –as with the wider need for new antibiotics– there is a huge need to re-invigorate antibacterial discovery by the pharmaceutical industry ".
A new BSAC committee on antibacterial drug discovery and development will lead UK efforts to combat the serious decline in new anti-infective treatments. For further information please contact Tracey Guise, Executive Director
