by Janjeera Hail

Guam - The Department of Public Health is keeping an eye on a new bacteria - a "Superbug" - NDM1 - that is resistant to even the most powerful class of antibiotics. Residents who have recently visited South Asian countries like India and Pakistan are warned to play close attention, as small numbers have already been detected in Australia, India, Canada, the United States, the Netherlands, Sweden, Great Britain, Austria, and Japan.

So far, no cases have been reported on Guam. Public Health medical director Dr. Anna Kutty Mathew says that the Center for Disease Control recommends acute care, and urges hospital's and care facilities to be vigilant. "The bacteria that carries this enzyme usually causes infections like pneumonia or inter-abdominal infections, so the symptoms will be of the infection that is caused by the other non-resistant type of bacteria," she explained.

Dr. Mathew also says the only way to determine if someone has the Superbug would be to send samples off-island for analysis.