Superbug lineup

MRSA

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the most infamous of all superbugs. Regular Staphylococcus aureus is a common type of bacteria, normally found harmlessly on the skin. This bug first started resisting the effects of antibiotics as far back as the 1950s, however, and MRSA itself first appeared in 1962.

VRE

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) is immune to the effects of one of our most powerful antibiotics. Vancomycin is usually reserved for the most serious of infections, including meningitis and MRSA. These superbugs were first spotted in the 1980s and have proven very good at developing resistance to any new antibiotics thrown at them.

MDR-TB

Multi-drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB) does not respond to the two most powerful anti-tuberculosis drugs currently available — rifampicin and isoniazid. Normal treatment for TB involves a combination of antibiotics taken for six months, but if the drugs are given alone or stopped too soon, resistance can develop.

KPC

Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing bacteria (KPC) are a relatively new problem, first identified in the US in the early 2000s. They are very good at resisting treatment and also produce an enzyme that allows them to break down carbapenem, a powerful antibiotic that’s one of our last lines of defence.