Australian researchers map genes of "superbug" found in hospitals worldwide

A team of international scientists have successfully mapped the genes of a dangerous " superbug," paving the way for prevention and more effective treatments.

Led by researchers at the University of Melbourne, the team decoded the genes of the Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) bacterium, which is found in hospitals around the world.

KP is a drug-resistant bacterium that has contributed to deaths and infected hundreds of patients around Australia, and has also caused significant problems in Asia, Africa and Europe over the last decade.

It is a key contributor to the development of pneumonia and bronchitis in patients. Those infected also have an increased tendency to develop lung abscesses.

The team's study is the first of its kind which attempts to unlock the secrets of KP, and co-author of the research, Professor Dick Strugnell from the University of Melbourne said the research could help track the evolution of the "superbug" and even anticipate its antibiotic resistance.

"KP is commonly found in the environment and can acquire resistance genes, become established in hospitals, and then become a major health problem. The bacterium exists as a diverse population, some of which can cause severe disease in humans," Strugnell said on Tuesday.

He said KP was more of a threat to those already sick, as the bacteria was most often found in hospitals.

"The bacterium has evolved a thick sticky sugar 'coat' which stops it drying out. This 'coat' contributes to the formation of ' biofilms' of the bacteria which are hard to remove from hospitals with traditional cleaning methods."

The research's lead author, Kathryn Holt said the bacteria thrived on weaker people, but could eventually mutate to affect healthy humans as well.

"Almost any strain of KB can cause an infection in someone who is already ill in hospital, but very few strains are virulent enough to affect a healthy person," she said.

"Unfortunately, Klebsiella strains are very good at swapping around genes that encode antibiotic resistance, so it's probably just a matter of time before we see this."

Holt said undertaking more research about KP was important, particularly regarding its spread through inherently clean and sanitary places such as hospitals.

She believed lives could be saved if more effort was put into stopping KB.

"It's so important we get a better understanding of how KP actually spreads between the environment, people and hospitals and better monitoring," she said.

The research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was conducted alongside researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Britain. Endi