9 Nov 2018

New drugs failing against antibiotic resistant apocalypse

From Nine To Noon, 9:31 am on 9 November 2018
Antibiotic testing in a petri dish (file photo)

Photo: AFP / ABO / Science Photo Library

Leading infectious disease specialist Dr Stephen McBride is painting a grim picture of how new drugs have failed to keep pace with new breeds of super bugs.

Dr McBride, who is Clinical Head of Infectious Diseases at Middlemore Hospital, says even top self, upgraded penicillin is now ineffective against the latest threat, CRO. (carbapenem-resistant organisms).

He joins Kathryn to discuss how front line medical services are coping with the bugs that keep outwitting the drugs.