Professor Dame Sally Davies, the Government’s Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Advisor, has announced that £500,000 of Government-funding has been made available for new research into antibiotic resistant bacteria.
ESBLs (extended spectrum Beta lactamases) are enzymes produced by bacteria making them resistant to some of the most widely used antibiotics in hospitals. As these bacteria are becoming more common, the Department of Health commissioned a report to review the current state of knowledge on ESBL-producing bacteria as they are a potential threat to the treatment of serious infections. The report, published by members of ARHAI (the Department of Health’s Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection) and DARC (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ Antimicrobial Resistance Coordinating Committee) shows the current level of knowledge in this area and is available on the Department of Health’s website: www.dh.gov.uk The Department is now calling for new research proposals on ESBLs to expand knowledge in this area.
