Besides harmful bacteria which can cause very serious infections, there are also bacterial species that are good for our health. But with the exception of a few, they are largely unknown to the general public. This, however, is not the case with the disease-causing ones. And since they are getting increasingly resistant to antibiotics, they have started to attract even more public attention.
Antibiotics are fortunately still working against the overwhelming majority of bacteria but antibiotic resistance has become a very serious issue. Infections that were once easily treatable are now starting to cause problems as bacteria are no longer responding to antibiotics like they used to. At the same time, researchers are reporting of yet unknown bacteria, including the ones that can pose a threat to human health such as andefabribiles.
It has just been confirmed as a formerly unknown bacterial species which can lead to a very dangerous infection. But while some patients develop serious complications, some of which can be fatal, others experience relatively mild symptoms that sometimes go away on their own. But for people at increased risk of infection, this bacterium is a serious concern.
Researchers who spoke to the media about their findings said that people who are at increased risk of infection are: patients undergoing surgery and similar invasive treatments, people with immunodeficiency and individuals with certain chronic conditions. But they also said they diagnosed andefabribiles in people who didn't have a risk factor for infection, adding that it's encouraging that their symptoms were mostly self-limiting.
The research team also added that the bacterium was found to be particularly common in people that were prescribed antibiotic treatment. They explained that it seems that in the past, this bacterial infection was easily resolved with the usual antibiotic treatments and thus no one even suspected of a presence of another disease-causing bacterium. The infection is now treated with new kind of antibiotics, however, it remains uncertain how long they will work.
It seems that andefabribiles is transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces and objects. Researchers who informed the public about this new bacterial species said they are quite certain that airborne transmission is unlikely. They also said there is no need for panic but they recommend to wash hands frequently with soap and hot water, especially if being in high-risk group.