[NDM-1: the superbug?]

Abstract

A novel type of carbapenemase, New Delhi metallo beta-lactamase 1 (NDM 1), was first identified in 2008 in two Enterobacteriacea isolates, both recovered from a Swedish patient transferred from India. The emergence of NDM 1 is now reported from all continents, often in patients with a history of travel or hospitalization in the Indian subcontinent. The NDM 1 producing Gram-negative bacteria are mainly Enterobacteriaceae, which can cause colonization or fatal infections, with worrying antimicrobial susceptibility profiles: some isolates have developed resistance to practically all available antibiotics. Is the NDM-1 the super-bug? Are we in the post-antibiotic era? This review is a summary of currently available knowledge of NDM-1 that draws attention to future antimicrobial resistance scenarios.