Recently there has been a serious issue with untreatable bacterial infections throughout Europe. The New Delhi or NDM-1 superbug which are resistant to carbapenem antibiotics have recently been discovered in UK patients. These patients brought the infections back from India and Pakistan, which is where many traveled to receive medical treatment. This is a problem due to the fact that this type of antibiotics is used as a powerful source for treating bacterial infections. The bacteria has been found in the drinking water supply in New Delhi, India and is also known to cause dysentery and cholera which is transmitted through contaminated sewage water. For India this is a serious problem considering the fact they do not have access to sanitary water or flushing toilets. Since the spread of NDM-1, scientists have been proposing action to tackle this issue. The World Health Organization regional director for Europe, Zsuzsanna Jakab says that "given the growth of travel and trade in Europe and across the world, people should be aware that until all countries tackle this, no country alone can be safe." This is a serious issue due to the fact that superbugs are mainly transmitted through water. Water is essential to life, a person's survival depends on drinking water. Water is essential to the functioning of every single cell and organ system in the human body. Contaminated water poses serious health threats to a person's body. The fact that the NDM-1 superbug is resistant to antibiotics makes this situation even worse. For those that do not have access to clean water and are unaware of this issue, they have a higher risk for cholera and dysentery. More people need to be informed of the superbug issue and the World Health Organization needs to stop talking about the issue and actually make a plan and follow through with it to fix the problem.
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