Scientists testing water samples from New Delhi found more than a dozen species of bacteria, ranging from strains that cause pneumonia to cholera. The bugs had genes that enable them to resist almost all medicines, according to a study](http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(11)70059-7/fulltext) published today in the medical journal The Lancet.
The research exposes the role played by India, a booming economy with more mobile-phone subscribers than toilets, in fanning the development of drug-evading bacteria. As 30 million people fly out of the country annually, some are leaving with bowel-dwelling bugs that may cause deadly sepsis and defeat the most powerful antibiotic treatments.
“There is not even a light you can see at the end of this dark tunnel,” said Peter Collignon, an infectious diseases doctor who teaches at the Australian National University in Canberra. “People are dying from infections that are no longer treatable with available antibiotics.”
Seems cheap anti biotics available over the counter may be responsible for these resistant strains of super bugs!
Re: Drinking India’s tap water can yield more than a bad case of Delhi belly
What do you expect, its a developing country. Similar problem in Mexico where there is nearly non existent oversight over the use of antibiotics.
People are obviously getting these bugs and popping antibiotics like candy without proper regulation, and so you have this problem of multiple drug resistant strains all of the sudden. Lets hope these strains dont see their way out of India anytime soon.
Re: Drinking India’s tap water can yield more than a bad case of Delhi belly
old news. doesn’t everybody know you don’t drink tap water in India? in fact even bottled water is dangerous unless you buy the bottles from a reputed store.
but what’s that part about more cell phone users than toilettes? which country has more toilettes than cell phone users?
Re: Drinking India’s tap water can yield more than a bad case of Delhi belly
Dude you miss the point.
Your tap water is going to be dirty, no question. However, your tap isnt supposed to be populated by multiple drug resistant bacteria.
The problem isn’t just the water, a simple regimen of medication and hydration should cover most organisms you could could ingest from the tap, but if the organisms are resistant, then there is the potential for trouble.
The problem essentially, is that India doesnt properly regulate antibiotics.
Re: Drinking India’s tap water can yield more than a bad case of Delhi belly
old news. doesn't everybody know you don't drink tap water in India? in fact even bottled water is dangerous unless you buy the bottles from a reputed store.
TRUE. reputed stores are only in cities but when i go to my village, there isn't any such luxury. we BOIL water in a stainless steel pot and let it boil for 5 minutes then let it cool...then put it in bottles. we don't have fridges there so we put ice around the bottles. we do NOT use locally made yogurt, ice and milk. milk is never pure so it does contain water.
