New antibiotic-resistant superbug discovered in Malaysian hospital

A virulent strain of antibiotic-resistant 'superbug' that causes severe disease has been found circulating in a Malaysian hospital - posing significant challenges to global public health, a new study reveals. 

Analyzing 10 years' worth of data, scientists discovered that most Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) infections at the main tertiary hospital in Terengganu, Malaysia, belonged to Global Clone 2 (or GC2), which is the dominant type in most parts of the world. 

Investigating data relating to 126 samples of the bacteria (2011-2020), researchers found that the majority of Malaysian A. baumannii were resistant to multiple antibiotics, with most resistant to carbapenems - the drugs of choice for the treatment of A. baumannii infections. 

Publishing their findings in Microbial Genomics, the international research team also found that 97% of the bacterial samples carried plasmids – tiny DNA 'toolkits' – that help spread antibiotic resistance. 

Co-author Dr. David Cleary, from the University of Birmingham, commented: "Our study provides further evidence that the same dangerous family of A. baumannii bacteria keeps spreading in hospitals. Despite its importance, there is very little information on A. baumannii from low- and middle-income countries. 

"Understanding how the disease evolves is critical in helping to prevent the spread of disease, as well as developing and optimizing treatments. A. baumannii keeps evolving new resistance tricks and low- and middle-income countries need more tools to track it. 

"There's an urgent need for continuous surveillance and development of effective treatment protocols to combat the spread of MDR A. baumannii. The predominance of the GC2 lineage and the high incidence of carbapenem resistance pose a significant threat to public health." 

Our study shows the importance of international research collaboration to tackle the pressing issue of the spread of multidrug resistant bacteria, more so when there is scarcity of data from certain parts of the world." 

Prof Chew Chieng Yeo, principal investigator from Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA)

A. baumannii can cause infections in blood, lungs, urinary tracts and wounds. It typically causes these in healthcare settings, such as hospitals. Owing to its ability to resist antibiotic treatment, it has been listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a critical priority antibiotic-resistant pathogen.