British device that can spot superbugs

BRITISH scientists have developed a handheld device that can test if a patient is infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria in less than two minutes.

The invention, which is being tested in UK hospitals, can screen urine, blood and saliva.

Experts fear that the overuse of antibiotics is driving a superbug epidemic that will kill more people than cancer by 2050. GPs doling out too many antibiotics means that bacteria are evolving to become resistant to the treatments.

It is believed the device could be used by GPs and hospital doctors to slash the amount of antibiotics incorrectly prescribed for viruses – on which they have no effect. Currently, the diagnosis of infections takes several days, waiting for laboratory tests to be carried out.

Dr Matt Hicks of Linear Diagnostics, a company linked to Birmingham University that is developing the test, said: ‘Our device makes it possible to make sure the diagnosis is correct at an early stage.’