New “superbug” found in Cosmetic Surgery Tourists

A new superbug NDM-1 has been discovered in UK hospitals experts have warned.

Bacteria that make an enzyme called NDM-1 have travelled back with NHS patients who went abroad to countries like India and Pakistan for treatments such as cosmetic surgery.

The Lancet study looked back at some of the NDM-1 cases referred to the HPA up to 2009 from hospitals scattered across the UK.

At least 17 of the 37 patients they studied had a history of travelling to India or Pakistan within the past year, and 14 of them had been admitted to a hospital in these countries – many for cosmetic surgery.

For some of the patients the infection was mild, while others were seriously ill, and some with blood poisoning.

More information on the risks of cosmetic surgery abroad and how to minimise them can be found on BeYou’s news section titled “Cosmetic Tourism – The only destination should be Edinburgh”.