SOTA3 NDM-1 as a unique marker of antibiotic resistance: when two worlds collide

The ongoing saga over the name of the NDM-1 gene obscures, sometimes deliberately so, the over aching problems of holistically negating the continued spread of antibiotic resistance. Genetic fluidity and plasticity aside, man’s paradoxical behaviour both nationally and internationally has spawned and aided and abetted “superbugs” that is likely to herald the end of conventional treatment of infectious diseases and plunge future generations into the uncertainty of clinical outcomes more akin to the 19th century. Patently, we are lacking global responsibility and the means to deal with countries which continuously ignore guidelines from the WHO and others. This brief synopsis will not only outline the epidemiology of NDM-1 and its genetics but also key risk factors in its spread both throughout Southern Asia and globally.